Feeling Numb
by Elocintheelvenprincess
Summary: Hermione's still recovering from the aftermath of the War and runs into Draco who is a Mind Healer while out drinking. He wants to help her recover and move on, or so he says. Can she trust him?
1. Chapter 1

Hermione slumped against her door. All of the energy she'd pretended to muster up fell away and she dragged herself to her kitchen sink. She munched on a pastry while standing over the sink and brushed her teeth afterwards. She'd get a shower in the morning. She pulled off her shoes and pants and left them trailing behind, amid the other fallen clothes of the week.

She did nothing at home throughout the week, her body drained from expelling the energy required to function at work. Her Saturday's were spent cleaning the flat. Sundays were for sleeping. She hadn't read in ages, books were collecting dust on her magnificent bookshelf.

She pulled her jumper and cami off leaving her clad in only her undergarments. She stared at her left arm. The scar, though faint, was white against her pale skin. Mudblood. She frowned, an expression that was common on her face of late. She'd lost her fire. Her drive.

She took out her secret stash of muggle vodka from the dresser drawer and sipped on it. Feeling the warmth of the clear liquid run down her throat and into her body. She didn't realize how much she'd drank, passing out on her bed, the empty bottle falling from her hand and clattering to the floor, rolling under the bedframe.

Hermione woke, feeling slightly off balance from the vodka, she grimaced, knowing it was Saturday. She knew she wouldn't have a hangover since her drinking herself to sleep was a regular occurrence.

"Guess I should go ahead and clean up." She muttered to her empty home.

She pulled a royal purple silk robe that fell mid-thigh over her body and cinched it at her waist. She collected her wand from under her pillow and waved it around the room. The dirty clothes flew off in the direction of the washer, the trash found its way to the bin. The empty bottles and cans marched towards her kitchen to be collected in the recycles bin. She turned and flicked her wand to make her bed, fluffing her pillows.

She circled through the apartment and once it had been cleaned, she flopped onto her couch. She started to cry. Her life was meaningless. Nothing ever went right. She had an empty flat, no sex life, and no friends. What had happened to her?

Ron. That's what. His temper, his endless nagging. He'd made sure she was a social pariah after their less than friendly breakup. Harry had taken his side, being his brother-in-law. Hermione had to stand by while Ron turned the Weasley family against her.

Molly and Arthur had been her second parents growing up, and she had thought that being adults they'd see it her way. They hadn't. Ron had made it known she was no longer welcome at the Burrow.

Ron had wanted to have sex with her, she'd told him no. Sure kissing, and oral pleasure had been great, but he wanted more. She had not. He got angry and broke up with her. They'd only dated for about a year.

He had been angry she'd not wanted to move in with him at the burrow, didn't understand why she always kept her shirt on. He hated her hair and put her down all the time with sarcastic gibes. She could only take so much. She'd built a wall around herself and kept everyone out for two years.

Tears fell again. She hated herself. Bellatrix had done more than Ron would ever know. She had tortured her, The Cruciatus curse had been flung on her more than once. On top of that her blade had plunged unto her skin with glee carving the inkless tattoo on her arm.

She'd then been molested by the deranged woman. Her hands had plundered Hermione's body while the Malfoy family had watched, her screams and cries being unheard. While Hermione was positive she still had a hymen, just the fact that someone had violated her, and a woman at that, had created some horrible nightmares.

She hated herself. Her self-loathing was at its all-time high in her life, and she took herself to her room. Dressed in her skimpiest outfit, a green long sleeved silk shirt that's front hung down below her breasts so that the twins peaked out its sides, and a black mini skirt.

Waving her wand to fix her hair, and put makeup on she then pulled on her ballet flats. She really needed to invest in some pumps or heels she thought as she walked out of the now clean flat. As an afterthought she charmed the shirt to stay put, so her girls wouldn't pop out.

Hermione sat on a barstool at the Hogs Head bar, she'd become a regular at the Three Broomsticks, and the Leaky Cauldron and didn't want to see a familiar face, so she chose to come here where she wasn't likely to meet someone she knew.

She threw back a shot of firewhiskey and asked for another as well as a mug of Dragon's Brew. Once placed in front of her she threw back the shot, closing her eyes to relish the liquor warming her insides. Opening them she met gray eyes staring into her dark brown ones.

"Granger." His voice held no tone of menace. She glanced at him without really seeing him. He had just arrived and sat at the stool beside her. 'Darn, so much for not seeing familiar faces!'

"Malfoy." She acknowledged. He seemed a bit off seeing her there, or maybe that was her own feelings being conveyed in her mind.

She ignored him, continuing to drink her alcohol. She's managed about four Dragon's Brew, and 8 or 10 or who the hell counted them anymore shots of firewhiskey before dropping her galleons and stepping down from the barstool. Swaying a touch, she smiled. She'd sleep great tonight. No nightmares.

A hand grabbed her arm. She looked at the intruder of her revelry. Malfoy! She scowled, giving him a look that rivaled the scowls he used to give her at Hogwarts.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" She asked angrily her words barely slurring. He looked at her, expression guarded, his hand had moved to a supportive position, and she hated to admit how much she was trying not to lean on him.

"Helping you to stand Granger. Where the devil do you think you're going in this state?" He asked, no anger in his voice, just curiousness, and a bit of-humor.

"You finding something funny Malfoy?" She spat at him, her voice belying the seething anger, the annoyance of being detained. He said nothing. "Fine! I was going home."

"How were you getting there?" He asked, and she looked uncertain. What did he mean? She was going to get there by Apparating, like always and told him that. He looked incredulous.

"You could be splinched. Come on, I'll take you." He sighed. He placed a few coins on the bar and assisted her out,

"Why would you care if I got splinched, 'snot like anyone would miss me really." She huffed, her alcohol induced haze still fogging her mind.

"I'm sure the wizarding world would hate to see their golden girl in two pieces all because she'd messed up something she'd perfected as soon as she was of age. It'd be something that was beneath her." Draco's reply was dripping with sarcasm as he released her arm.

Hermione seemed not to hear him, she was humming and dancing a little in the street as the effects of the alcohol ran through her veins. She stopped off to the side of one of the houses in Hogsmead, leaning against the bricks she looked up. Her mouth opened slightly as she looked into the inky starlit vastness of space.

The streetlamps were out of range from where she stood in the darkness of the village and she sighed. One of longing, regret, and sadness. She didn't notice that Draco was staring at her. Looking at her mouth then looking up to the sky as well. Her sigh brought his attention back to her.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked, and the look of surprise on both of their faces matched when her head shot down and their gazes met.

"You want to hear what a Mudblood has to say?" She laughed bitterly. Her heart pounded, her breathing erratic, and the tears from earlier were just on the surface.

"I want to hear what _you_ want to say" Draco said, making it a point to emphasize the word you. He saw she was on the verge of breaking down. He had noticed as soon as he entered the Hogs Head tonight and saw her. He wasn't in the Magical Law office for nothing. He'd come in for his nightly dose of alcohol and came face to face with the reason for it.

Visions of her swam through his head. He'd seen her in almost all of his cases, her eyes tormenting him. The pain, humiliated, tortured and abused. He had become the Leading case manager within the Magical Law Mind Healing division helping victims deal with their pain and trauma because of her.

She laughed at him. Bitterly and contemptuously. His brow furrowed, confused. He'd not dealt with that before. But then, neither had any of the cases he had ever had been quite like the one in front of him. Where he knew intimately what had happened to her over 3 years ago. Had seen it and done nothing.

"So the great Pureblood Draco Malfoy has lowered his standards to allow a common Mudblood to speak to him. Oh the daring!" She retorted, glaring at him, but in a detached uninterested sort of way. Like she'd long divested herself of such strong emotions. Perhaps she had.

"Granger, I am not the child of my youth, and have done away with the influences of said youth. I live in a neighborhood that houses both us magical and muggles. I have a degree from a Muggle Uni in social work, and work in the ministry now." He calmly replied. She listened, allowing her eyes to glance his direction as her face stayed forward.

"A muggle uni?" She laughed suddenly. "Why on earth would you go to a muggle school?" And she was back to humming and skipping down the road. He sighed. She was an enigma. She was certainly broken. He was scared for her. He didn't know what all was going to happen when her emotions came crashing down.

"Granger, could I assist you home, please." He asked.

She nodded, still humming and skipping, she stepped up on a rock wall that came to Draco's knees and he noticed as she danced upon it making her way down its length to the other end that she had unshed tears in her eyes.

She was desperately trying not to break down in the middle of Hogsmead. He met her at the end and held a hand. She stared at it a second before taking it shakily.

Their hands touched and they felt like a shock between them, like static electricity. She shook it off and stepped down from the wall.

"Do you know the park down the street from the ministry, Apparate us there, we can walk the distance to my flat." She murmured to him. He nodded. Took her in as close to his body as he could, he'd only side apparated another person once before.

Her smell of vanilla and some sort of spice filled his nostrils as he thought about the park. With a crack they made it there still standing. She leaned into him swaying slightly.

His felt his heart beating in his throat. She let go of him and pulled away, staggering slightly at the loss of his steadiness. He let her go, following her as she began her skipping and humming again. He realized it was nerves. She was nervous in his presence. He wondered why.

They came to her flat, he'd never been here before. Never had a reason to venture to this neighborhood. He supposed it wasn't a bad neighborhood, just not as upscale as the gated community that he resided in.

Draco sighed as she plopped herself down onto her steps instead of just going in. He regarded her arms that were across her chest as she leaned over her legs on the steps. He took his jacket off and placed it over her shoulders. He was wearing a white button up shirt and black slacks, the black jacket was now resting on her shoulders. It took her a minute to register that it was even there.

"Aren't you even cold?" He asked. She had a glazed look in her eye and didn't respond. He sighed again. "Granger, give me your keys and release the wards."

She nodded and handed him her a bag he'd not noticed that had been hanging on her wrist. He opened it to find a shrunken book, a few muggle shot bottles of vodka, and her keys. Glancing at the bottles he realized she had a problem.

He drew them out and stepped over her to open her door. He knew she could perform wandless magic, just as he could, and with a wave of her hand he felt her magic releasing the wards from her home. He pushed it open, and then assisted her to stand and took her inside of her flat. He immediately felt the wards go back up once the door was closed and locked.

'Shit. How the fuck am I getting out of here now?' He thought until he spied the fireplace and a small box decorated with a fairy and a dragon nestled on the mantle. He opened it and saw the floo powder. 'Good, I can get out that way.'

He saw she'd started making her way towards a room in the back, kicking her shoes off, then she started pulling her skirt from her legs. He gasped.

"GRANGER!" He scowled. She looked behind her and realized what she was doing.

"Well shit. I forgot you were here." She stated and color rushed to her face as she made to grab the skirt that was a foot away from her. He saw the panties she wore matched the shirt, green. His mouth went dry and he felt the movement of another interested party, a little lower on his body, at the sight of her lean legs and scantily clad thighs.

"What are you doing?" He hissed walking to her and helping her to stand steadily while she returned her skirt to her body.

"I was undressing, the way I always do when I come home." She stated with no emotion. Her eyes were void of emotion. He didn't like the way she was so detached.

"Granger, let's talk." He snarled angrily, hoping to elicit some response from her. Even her bitter laughter was better than the blankness he was seeing. Something akin to the fire he remembered from Hogwarts started in her eyes.

'Malfoy was angry, and wanted to talk. Hah! What gives him the right to be angry? I should be angry!' Hermione thought and she pushed through her potion and alcohol induced haze. She pulled from him unsteadily, anger bright in her eyes.

"How dare you! How dare you fucking get mad at me?" She spat. "You!" She started shaking as her anger magnified. "Talk, talk about what Malfoy? Talk about how you just watched like the pathetic evil cockroach I called you back in third year?

"How you watched her carve into me? How you watched her defile me? Let's talk! How you called me Mudblood, told your father all about me so I was on their radar for the raids? How I had to obliviate myself from my family's minds? How Ron never understood the damage she did? How I…I can't….I…can't…."

Her words ended in sobs as she collapsed down the wall her back against it riding it down to sitting position. She bent her knees to her chest and sobbed in her arms as they rested on them. Draco sat down beside her and pulled her to him. He'd known she'd blame him. How could she not. It was partially true. He'd been as unwilling a victim as she in the War. He knew that now.

"Shhh….Shhh…She's dead. Bella is dead. Long driven from the world now." He said. She's stiffened at the witch's name. He rubbed her back under the jacket he'd placed on her earlier.

"I hate you sometimes, you know." She sniffed, not looking at him. He frowned and furrowed his brow.

"Yeah. I hate myself sometimes too." He said honestly.

"She broke me. I couldn't admit it before, during the war I had to hold it together for Harry, so we could finish what we started and destroy the last of the horcruxes. You saw us destroy the one in the room of requirements. I wanted you to die in the fire….I….I was very glad that you didn't…but that thought haunted me. Did I truly….want you dead?"

She stopped for a second as another bought of sobbing broke her resolve. Why was she telling Draco this? What would it accomplish except gain her his contempt?

"I'm sorry…" He said. She looked up at him, her tears in her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest loudly for the first time in years.

"I obliviated my parent's, they don't know me. I basically took away their lives. I sent them away so they wouldn't be killed, and now I can't return them their memories." She cried softly, remorse in her voice. "And when I tried to date Ron, well that was such a bloody mess. Everyone took his side, I have no one now."

She laughed then, bitterly once more.

"Why was it a mess?" He asked, his voice careful and emotionless. She stared at her knee, a small scar on it from her scraping it many times as a kid.

"He wanted more than I could give him. He wanted to heal me, but couldn't. I was never good enough for him, always nagging, or crying, or prudish. He wanted more and I failed him." She said dejectedly. Her morose feeling settling once again over her heart. Draco's mouth formed a thin line as he set his lips grimly.

"Why weren't you able to let him heal you?" Draco asked, she laughed for a second. 'Really? Of all the things he came out with?'

"Not heal me because of something wrong, but heal my pain, my broken-ness. He could never fully understand how the feel of his hands on my body caused panic attacks, how when he would try to….touch…intimately I would seize up and remove his hands, or cower. He constantly asked if it was him. He constantly berated me for not letting him show me it could be good." She laughed bitterly again.

Draco was mortified at the turn of the conversation, he hated the Weasel but needed to hear it to be able to help her. She was his White Whale. His obsession, the reason he'd become a Mind Healer for victims. This was why he was here. He wanted to help her.

"Draco?" Her slurred speech once again came back. He realized she was still quite intoxicated. And she'd said his name. His first name.

"Yes." He whispered, realizing that his hand was still against her back, rubbing small soothing circles.

"Will you stay and just hold me. It's been so long since I've had anyone to hold me, my mum and dad…my friends, all are gone. I have nothing _. I am nothing_." She had said that last part so quietly he'd barely heard her. His heart gave a wrench. She was the bloody Gryffindor Princess. She was the brains of the Golden Trio, and the Brightest Witch of Our Age. How could she possibly believe that she was nothing?

"If you wish it. But let's get off the floor first." He stated and helped her off the floor and took her over to her couch. It was a comfortable fluffy couch with sturdy arms and back. He say, and pulled her down with him. He wasn't in a relationship. His last one filtered out about six months ago, the heiress Astoria Greengrass had only wanted his money and status. She'd not wanted him though.

He was beyond the aristocratic nature of his family, they didn't give two knuts for his thoughts, so why the bloody hell would he care what they wanted for his future, that was his. His parents had his past. He decided his future and no one was ever taking that away from him again.

"She ruined me Malfoy, ruined me. She carved her hate into my skin, then took pleasure in my pain as she violated me. I don't know if she had time to take what was mine to give, but the woman violated me. I never knew women could do that to someone." She was murmuring, her eyes staring at the fire in her fireplace, seeing unseen horrors.

No, not unseen, he thought, he remembered and had been under the body-binding curse. _Petrificus Totalus_. His father had seen to that when he'd been unwilling to identify any of them. He'd been forced to watch his body bound by the spell. He watched his aunt torture the girl he knew from school. Then take the bloody blade, he'd inherited from her upon her death, to her skin.

He'd seen his aunt push her hands down Hermione's pants while Hermione screamed and pleaded for it to end. His Aunt had crucio'd her while fingering the witch. He was scared, he saw Hermione pass out from the humiliation and pain. He had watched as her eyes opened unseeing for a few seconds before she'd surrendered to the pain and darkness, her tears ran down her face and she stared at him pleading. Could she see his eyes, his pain, and his own soul?

"I was under _Petrificus Totalus_. I couldn't…save you." Draco's voice finally broke. The pain and tears came from the hidden part of himself. He pulled her closer, held her, breathed in her vanilla and spice scent. They stared for a long time crying silently, their own demons haunting them. Eventually sleep overcame them both.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione's body was nestled between her couch and another warm body. She also felt a heavy jacket over her and a hand resting over her waist, limply lying on her bare stomach. She snuggled into the body for a second before meeting a very hard, very large, very male organ against the back of her thighs. She started to hyperventilate into a panic attack. Her hands flying up to clutch at her chest as she tried to tear herself from the body.

"Granger, calm down! Hermione! Breathe, breathe!" Malfoy's panicked voice attempted to penetrate her own panicked mind. _She wasn't able to, oh god she was going to die in his arms!_ She thought, her chest heaving with short quick gasps trying to get air through her panic.

He had picked her up and laid her gently on the floor with him behind her so she'd have air, while he mimicked breathing in and out, pressing on her stomach with one hand and chest with the other, having them work simultaneously. She slowly realized the breaths in her ear were his way of getting her to hear him, and him breathing with her.

She gulped the air, feeling the pain of the air being forced through her lungs once more. She realized that his hands had opened her shirt and one of his hands were resting against her chest above the swell of her unclad breast and the other at her stomach, just below the tender underside of those same naked breasts. She felt electric current racing through her body, jolting to her core. His own breathing was speeding up and she felt a twitch against her back and wondered at the strange appendage.

Her breathing picked up again as she started to panic but she tried to rein in her panic, hoping she could manage. After a few seconds she calmed enough to pull herself from his embrace. Draco wasn't sure what was going on in her head, but he made sure to stay calm, and quiet, less he drive her into a panic attack again. He knew she'd felt his erection, how could she not have, but then the feel of her skin under his hands, her smell while she slept, he couldn't help being enticed. Not that he'd act on it. He scowled momentarily before schooling his features blank again.

"Sorry." She murmured quietly her cheeks aflame with humiliation and her eyes downcast, avoiding his, before she stood and she made her way to her kitchen. She used her wand to make her tea and added a liberal amount of muggle cream based alcohol to it. She sipped it generously, loving the fire the alcohol made in her the otherwise cold pit of her stomach.

Draco just watched and sighed inwardly. She was going to be difficult, and he was already being unprofessional by having these feelings towards her. Oh Merlin, he, Draco Malfoy has feelings for Hermione Granger. What is the world coming to? He silently mused.

"Granger, I think I'd like to have some sit-downs with you." Draco started trying to figure out how to phrase this without her getting angry. She tensed and glanced over her shoulder at him, still sitting on her floor. She wanted to laugh at the sight he made, his clothing rumpled from work and a lie in on a couch, then a romp on the floor. She did manage a small smile as she turned to actually face him. He scowled and she remembered what he'd just said.

"What do you mean a sit-down Malfoy?" She snapped.

"I work in the Law Division that offers Mind Healing for those who were traumatized during the war, or in domestic cases. I'm a social worker in the Muggle World, and a Mind Healer in the Wizarding World. And I think you would benefit from sessions with me." He said cautiously. She giggled again.

"You, Draco Malfoy, want to have sessions where I talk about what you did to me during school, what your father and his friends did to me in the Department of Mysteries, and what your Aunt and her crazy friends did to me during the War?" She started laughing hard, giggles, guffaws, and shrill trills of laughter that made her sound quite mad. He watched her, his eyes narrowed and his face becoming a blank mask.

"I realize we have history Granger, but I think we need to get it out of the way so you can move on with your life and get out of….whatever it is you're in." He said without expression in his voice, holding tightly to his emotions while gesturing his hand around the room. What he was trying not to do was to stare openmouthed at her crazy laughs, her wild hair, and her almost dead eyes. They did make quite an impression on him. Her laughter died as she caught her breath.

"Alright Malfoy, I'll bite, but only under my terms. I don't want to go to some Ministry office, or have a folder in the law enforcement on me. You can come here, or we can go to a discrete location of your choosing. I will not have the fact that I'm having therapy sessions besmirching my name and giving credit to Ron's accusations that I'm mental." She winced as she said that last part.

Sure he'd said it throughout their childhood but he threw it in her face throughout the year of their 'relationship' constantly.

 _"Merlin Hermione, you need to get over it already, yeah! No need to act bloody mental every time I try to touch you." Memory Ron spat at her when she'd tensed and pushed him off her after a heated snogging once._

 _"Bloody hell Hermione! A bit mental aren't you?" When she broke down and started screaming when he'd pushed his hands into her pants to turn her on._

 _"Don't mind her Harry, she's mental." After she freaked out when he bought her a wizards vibrator to 'get the stick from her arse because she needed to get laid'._

Her hands went to her ears as tears streamed down her face. Her soft sobbing and quiet whispers and rocking back and forth standing in front of her sink made Draco get up and walk over to her.

"…not mental…..I'm not mental…I'm not crazy…..I'm not mental…" She was whispering, her mind far away from the here and now. Draco's thirteen year old prat self wanted to laugh at her and say indeed, she was crazy, just look at her. But his adult self knew she was breaking, knew she was facing a demon and trying to dispute whatever claim it had on her.

"Granger, you aren't crazy, you are just damaged. With these sessions maybe we can help you get through those damaging events and move forward." Draco told her quietly. Her gaze slid back into focus and she looked at him. Really looked at him for the first time all night. He thought he could see some of the old Granger in there as she nodded.

"I'll do it. What days are good for you? I don't have much of a social life, besides hitting up the pubs and working." She said, not ashamed of her going out and drinking. She was an adult and could get sloshed all she wanted, and she went to work, rarely took a vacation, and stayed for overtime most days.

"Wednesday mornings I'm free, or Friday evenings." Draco said, knowing he'd hate to give up his Wednesdays, he rather enjoyed sleeping in.

"Friday evenings would be best, I work during the day. What costs would I be incurring per session?" She asked.

"A weekly rate can be worked out between the two of us later. I'd rather like to help you without getting paid to do so." Draco admitted honestly. This was after all his "white whale" his reason he became a mind healer and social worker, she didn't need to know that though.

Her eyebrows quirked. A look of incredulousness filling her features.

"You want to counsel me for free? OK, this is a joke. What have you done with the real Draco Malfoy?" She eyed him suspiciously. He glanced at her, then chuckled; a very unMalfoylike sound. She pointed her wand at him, making him stop abruptly. He eyed her wand seriously.

"What did I say to you the first time you stepped out on the Quiddich pitch in our 2nd year, with the new brooms?" She said firmly. Draco's eyes widened. She was serious. Was she that distrustful that he'd changed since graduating from Hogwarts? He raked his brain for the event in question….fuck, what had she said? Oh yeah, the bitterness stung and a lump formed in his throat as he remembered.

"That my father bought my way onto the team." He scowled at her disdainfully as he forced this bitter memory out of his mouth. He'd spent the whole year attempting to try to make sure he earned his spot, besting all the other teams except theirs of course. Potter really was a formidable player. All because _she_ had made him feel inferior.

Her demeanor relaxed again and her wand lowered. He signed relieved.

"Geez Granger, not too trusting are you?" He smirked.

"Nowadays Malfoy, it's hard to trust anyone. Especially someone who doesn't act at all like they used to." She said wearily. Her spiked tea finished, she washed the mug and placed it in the dish rack. She got out two tumblers and filled them with ice and some muggle whiskey. Handing one to Draco, she watched as he sniffed it and sipped.

"Merlin! What is this?" He exclaimed as the harsh liquid set fire to his throat like firewhiskey hadn't done in years.

"It's called Crown Royal Whiskey. Rather nice muggle whiskey, strong and nice. It helps me to sleep."

"Good then, try to rest. I'll be heading out now. See you Friday at 6pm Granger. Oh and your first assignment, do one thing to make yourself smile this week." And he left through the green flames of her floo while she stared blankly at him.

((Please Read and Review, First Fanfiction and I could use feedback. Also, need a Beta for a few stories, including this one. Thanks, ever so. ))

~Elocin


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione sat for a long while after her work shift started that Monday. She'd been thinking about what had happened Saturday night. Of all the bloody people she'd had to run into it had been Draco sodding Malfoy. And he'd made sure she got home safe! She was furious and nervous.

Draco had always made her feel out of control and angry. He'd always been able to push her buttons even though she tried to be reasonable. She'd broken down in front of him and he didn't make fun of her, Strange when her once nemesis was not the one to ridicule her and be cruel.

She began working once more on the project proposal for the new legislation on Giant Welfare and Housing. She had been going through the paperwork for hours when her stomach rumbled and she sighed, pushing the papers away.

Standing she started towards the ministry's cafeteria, only to recall Draco's assignment to her, _'Do one thing to make yourself smile this week_.' She grimaced and made a face.

She went to the loo and opened the purse, drinking down one of the little shot bottles of vodka wishing it was after work already.

She tidied herself in the mirror and deciding to forgo the cafeteria walked to the ministry elevators. She walked into the lift and seconds before the door closed a hand reached out and opened the doors once more.

She lifted her eyes to meet brilliant green ones as the dark haired boy who'd once been her best friend stepped in to join her on her journey to the atrium to floo outside the Ministry to Diagon Alley.

"How's everything Harry?" She said stiffly. Knowing she'd not spoken to him since she left Ron. Avoided his owls knowing he'd be on Ron's side because he's married Ginny and his new wife hated her.

"Things are alright I suppose. Ginny had our son James about six months ago, but she's really focusing on getting back to the Harpies so Molly and Adromeda watch him a lot.

"How's Teddy?" Hermione asked as Adromeda's name brought on the image of Remus and Tonk's lifeless forms lying next to one another after the battle.

"He takes after Tonks, incredibly clumsy and an Metamorphmagus." Harry chuckled a bit at something he remembered Teddy doing. Hermione grinned despite herself.

"Maybe I could stop and see them one day soon?" Hermione asked, creaking her shell open just a bit, hoping not to be rejected again. Harry looked at her, really looked at her. His mouth was set in a grim line, like he'd had a million things weighing on him.

Being a Leading Auror and secretly an unspeakable was a lot on his plate. The trouble he was having with Ginny not wanting her son and constantly leaving Harry alone to raise him was also getting to him. He was exhausted and felt like a single parent. He didn't know why Hermione had chosen today of all days to talk to him again but he felt a slight weight life from him at her question.

She wanted to have him in her life again. He had missed his best friend. It'd been a while before he realized what Ron had done to her. Broken her down, and tried to force her to do something before she was ready. It had taken Harry months to pry out the true details of what happened from Ron, but when he'd pieced it together he was appalled.

He realized something must have happened to Hermione during the war to make her act like that. He'd seen it in the abuse cases he came across in his job. Funny enough he worked with Malfoy on occasion, sending those cases to him for Mind Healing.

"Sure Hermione, I'd like that. Are you heading to lunch?" Harry hedged. She nodded. "Want to join me, I'm heading to the new café down the street that just opened up. Wouldn't mind catching up a bit."

"I'd love to." Hermione felt the pressure that had been building in her chest lift and smiled her first genuine smile in a long while.

After the two walked into the new café, wonderfully modern and clean. Bright yellows and greens meeting their eyes. Fresh flowers on the tables and booths that looked as comfortable as they felt. They were seated at a table towards the window where they could peer out the front window and watch the passerby's as they rushed to do their shopping.

A pretty waitress came up and took their order and Harry and Hermione chatted and giggled about different things. Mostly it was Harry that told her of an almost four year old Teddy's antics. How much trouble could a clumsy metamorphmagus get into…..the answer, quite a lot.

"…so then he had crawled under the sofa, morphed his face into that of a duck and kept poking his bill out from the bottom attacking all of Adromeda's fancy guests that had been sitting on it. Hermione, you'd never see a woman shriek as loud as this one. Her face turned bloody purple and she jumped almost three feet in the air." Hermione gasped, her sides heaving with laughter.

"Oh, that's so funny! I can't believe Teddy did that! I would have loved to have see it!" Hermione giggled. Harry put some coins down, and held his hand as they made their way back to the Ministry. They continued to chat about random things, both ignoring the elephant in the room whose name was Ron, as they made their way back to their floor and parted ways.

Hermione smiled for the first time in years, Talking to Harry was like a breath of fresh air she hadn't known she needed. Her assignment was brought to the forefront of her mind and she smirked in a Malfoy fashion.

' _There you go Malfoy, first week's assignment is complete, I've done something to make me smile._ ' She thought. She pushed all thoughts and musings aside as she forced herself to complete the legislation she'd been working on all morning, and most of last week. The rights of the Giants and their housing needed to be addressed and protected.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Monday and Tuesday had gone much in the same fashion, Harry had owled Hermione early Tuesday asking if she was able to do lunch again, she owled her agreement. After that they planned their lunches together the rest of the week. By Friday she was sleeping a bit better, managing about two hours before resulting to her usually methods of drinking herself to sleep. She also felt a sense of energy she hadn't know she possessed.

Having friends really mattered it seemed. Something to actually look forward to, her lunch with Harry, where she'd hear about Adromeda Tonk's grandson, climbing bookshelves, changing his features to scare little ladies.

Teddy's constant mischief that seemed all the more amusing because he mucked even simple tasks up with his inherited trait of clumsiness. He was definitely Nymphadora's child.

"Hermione! Want to eat at that café we are at on Monday?" Harry asked excitedly as they made their way to the floo in the atrium. She smiled again and nodded.

Seated in the corner booth the two of them were in deep conversation about James and how fussy he had been the night before when a familiar voice fell over them.

"Harry! Nice to see you out for lunch. And Hermione, you look lovely as ever." Neville's tall form stood next to their booth. "I've got some good news Hermione, if you wanted to owl me, we can discuss it. I couldn't pass up mentioning it before getting my table with Hannah. You know what it regards." He suggested and Hermione nodded. Harry looked confused between the two of them.

"Thanks Nev, I will, give Hannah my love." Hermione said on autopilot as gloom settled in her stomach. Neville Longbottom had married Hannah Abbott after they graduated from Healer training together.

Her parents were under the care of St. Mungo's Janus Thickey Ward. Hannah and Neville were both healers, though Neville wanted the herbology position that would be opening up in the next year at Hogwarts. Professor Sprout was retiring.

"What was that about?" Harry asked. Hermione shrugged, her depression making an appearance for the first time all week in front of Harry. He put his hand on hers and she smiled a tight smile.

"They work on the same ward my parents' are now in at St. Mungos. They live in the Janus Thickey Ward now. I tried to reverse the spell, it didn't work." Hermione whispered trying not to cry, keeping a lopsided grin on her face so the public couldn't see how truly distressed she was. Harry though was a different story, he knew her.

"Sorry Hermione, I…I didn't realize that you didn't have them back." He said quietly. They sat in an awkward silence as they finished their plates. Hermione took the time to place coins on the table this time for their meals.

"You know, James may be teething, which is why he's giving you such a hard time at night, maybe I could bring by some teething soothers?" She smiled brightly, remembering the subject they'd been talking about before the awkwardness. Harry smiled again.

"How about tonight? Ginny said she was having to help Molly for a few hours and would most likely be staying over, since James is at Adromeda's tonight I suppose Molly has Ginny helping with clearing out the burrow."

"Sure, but it'll be late. I have a meeting tonight at 8…" She trailed off not sure if she wanted to tell Harry she was seeing Malfoy for therapy…sorry, Mind Healing sessions. She almost snorted…almost.

"Sure, anytime. No work tomorrow. You can even sleep in your old room. We haven't messed with it, I locked it up so no one would bother your things." Harry said trying to keep the mood light, still not wanting to address the fact that they'd been estranged for two years.

"That would be great. I'll pack an overnight bag. Maybe tomorrow I could visit Teddy?" She smiled as he agreed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione paced in her home. Draco had owled telling her he'd meet her here tonight, then they could make arrangements to meet at his private office, he'd be taking her there tonight so that she would be able to get there from now on. Draco arrived a few minutes before 8.

Coming through her fireplace banishing the ashes from him with a sweep of his wand. Hermione picked up her purse and overnight bag.

"Ready?" He asked eyeing the overnight bag, his eyebrow raising in question. Hermione said nothing, flicking her wand to lock her home, turn off everything and to place the extra wards. She then turned to Draco, took his arm and he took a handful of the floo powder.

"Malfoy Office" Was his destination. She went through first and he followed afterwards. She took a look around as he waved his wand once more to clear them both of ashes. She hadn't even thought about it. She felt her heart constricting as an unknown fear came over her.

"Wh…Where are w…we?" She asked starting to shake. She knew where she was, she could feel it. They were at the Manor, some unknown part of his home. Granted it was breathtaking and remodeled. Warm and inviting, she just instinctively knew it was near the location of her worse nightmares.

"My private office. It's in the Manor, only available to a select few that have to be let in by me personally. You now have apparation abilities to come into this office, though you can't leave this room to venture to other parts of the Manor, you are able to apparate to and from this room freely. You can leave at any time, and are able to come at times."

Draco seemed to think for a second before adding, "I currently only have you as a private client, but if I pick up another this room will only be accessible to you during the times I'm not with someone else." Draco told her.

Hermione nodded. She felt pressure and tried not to think about being in the same place where most of her nightmares began. Draco placed a hand and led her to a sofa to sit beside her. It was a light blue sofa that went well with the white and dark brown of the room and wood accents.

The sofa, and a matching chair made up half the room near the fireplace. A mahogany desk, the same dark brown as the woodwork within the room sat unimposing on the opposite side of the room with a very nice black leather office chair. The room was carpeted in a light blue a shade darker than the sofa and chair. Hermione noticed it was a very subtle but relaxing color scheme.

Hermione was nervous, she wasn't sure what she should be saying or not saying to Malfoy.

"So, how was your week?" Draco began. Hermione was hesitant but took a breath, gathering her courage.

"I finished the Giant legislation I have been working on for a few weeks, and started another proposal on Centaur land disputes today." She said thinking work would be the safest topic. She'd drank an Irish cream spiked tea before her meeting to give her a little courage. She knew he'd make her bring up some topics she really _really_ didn't want to discuss.

"So you enjoy your position in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures?" He asked her sincerely

"I do, I feel like I'm making some headway for those who need our help. I've also been revising quite a few biased legislation and policy to make way for a new era in the wizarding community." She said haughtily. Draco's eyebrow rose slightly.

"Oh? That's quite a feat. Did you work on the homework I gave you this week?"

"I made myself smile every day. I reconnected with an old friend and they made me smile and laugh quite a bit." Hermione smiled at the fact that she and Harry were going to be hanging out again once she left here.

Draco noticed the light come back in her eyes. She seemed happier when she mentioned her friend. He'd heard rumors around the Auror office that Potter had been sighted with an attractive brunette several times this week and Draco could only assume that it was Potter that Hermione had reconnected with.

"How long had it been since you 'disconnected' with the friend?" He continued trying to break her out of her comfort zone.

"Two years. I've missed so much of their life. Their wedding and the birth of their child. The antics of their godson, who I've known since birth. I was so closed off from people I forgot how good it was to talk and enjoy the simple things." She smiled.

Draco knew for sure then it had been Potter, he constantly regaled the office with funny antics his cousin Teddy did. Just the other day he scared the daylights out of Mrs. Parkinson who'd been over visiting with his mother and her sister by morphing into a duck and nipping at Pansy's mother's ankles.

Draco had wished he could have been a fly on the wall because his mother refused to let him see it in the pensieve. Pansy had owled him telling him that her mother had taken all of the ducks from their pond and donated them to the nearest reservation. Draco smiled.

"So let's delve into those feelings about the re-connection." Draco continued leading the session.

Almost an hour later they'd made some headway. He had discovered that Hermione was genuinely trying to reconnect with the world. She's stopped drinking every night, at least until time for bed.

She also opened up a little about how much Ron had broken her spirit by putting her down. She was very excited to be meeting Harry's son and couldn't wait to see her old room at his house. He'd been such an important part of her life growing up and couldn't wait to visit again.

Draco held reservations he didn't express when it came to her staying over at a married man's home, especially when Draco had firsthand knowledge that said man was having trouble with his wife.

Draco knew that Ginny had been out with Astoria and Daphne Greengrass a few times partying at a few of the muggle clubs that the Slytherin's used to frequent. Blaise had told him just the other day what a fiery redhead she was.

"So you're homework this week and for the weekend is to do some soul searching, figure out "triggers" for your problems. Reasons why you want to drink and then find reasons not to." Draco said.

Hermione's eyes flashed angrily. Then she realized he was right. She didn't want to admit it. She nodded glaring at him. Draco tried not to smirk inwardly. He'd hit a nerve. Something she was trying not to make a big deal about but alcohol was clearly something she used as a vice for her troubles.

Hermione turned to leave and as she stepped towards the fireplace and took a handful of powder Draco's voice stopped her.

"Granger, make sure to write those triggers down so we can possibly discuss some of them next session. Good work today."

XXXXXXXX

Harry had been pacing and rubbing James' back for about 2 hours, the bottle long since empty, Harry's stomach rumbling, another late night meal because he couldn't put James down for more than a minute without him screaming. Harry rocked him as he paced, patting the six month's old back as he tried to burp or comfort the kid, hoping something worked and the fussy baby would calm.

12 Grimmauld Place had been cleaned up, The wallpaper and floors replaced, the woodwork throughout updated and replaced or repaired. Kreacher had been appalled at the changes, but eventually helped Harry remove Mrs. Black's portrait from the wall and she now resided in the attic where Kreacher had moved to so he could still talk to his old mistress.

Harry had employed one other house elf, a female named Gemma. She'd been displaced when her masters had perished in the war and Harry employed her after coming across her during Auror training.

The floo fired and Hermione stepped into the chaos that had become Harry's life as of late. She looked around with wide eyes.

"Wow, this is amazing." Awe evident in her voice. Harry smiled a tight smile. He was beyond exhausted. He had had a trying day at work, picked up James from Andromeda's and came home intending to do a quiet dinner before Hermione got here. He'd been thinking they could hand out, play cards or maybe play a muggle board game like Monopoly or Candyland. Something he hadn't been able to do since Ginny and Ron didn't like to play muggle games.

"Thanks." She looked at Harry, his hair was even more unruly than before and his eyes had red blood vessels that seemed to be forming before her own eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept and had a five o'clock shadow on his usually clean-shaven face. He looked beyond tired. She then saw the beautiful raven haired baby that fussed in his arms.

"Here's the teether." Hermione pulled out a small blue elephant that had spindly rubber legs. She sanitized it and gave it to Harry. Harry placed it into James hands and immediately the infant pushed one of the legs into his mouth and began to chew and drool. His eyes drooping for the first time in hours.

"You have no idea how much he needed that." Harry said as he was able to place the child in a playpen in the drawing room corner for the first time tonight. "Want something to eat?"

Hermione smiled, nodding. She watched the baby chew, drool, and then watched in fascination as the bright green eyes drooped and closed and the baby slept. She hadn't even realized Harry had brought in a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches and a cup of tomato soup until he spoke.

"Good to see you again Hermione. Sorry it's so late. Andromeda said we could come by after lunch tomorrow to visit, so I thought we could hang out and watch a new movie on the tv." Harry had put in some muggle appliances like a tv, sound system, and video games. When Ron came home on breaks they'd play for hours, much to Ginny's displeasure.

"That'd be great." She said as she sat and ate. The two of them ate in pleasant conversation. They talked about things from work, both had heard about Ernie McMillian being caught in the copy room with Millicent Bulstrode.

"Who knew!?" Harry exclaimed laughing.

"Oh, when Mr. Weldron came back from his break his face was so contorted it would have put a furious Snape to shame." Hermione gasped between peals of laughter.

"So Hermione, how are you?" Harry asked getting serious. She took a second to come back form her giddiness.

"Getting better Harry." She said smiling happily.

"Good. Any boyfriends?" She tensed a little. Harry noticed and wondered at it.

"No. Not since Ron actually. It's been really difficult to get past….well the past. But I have someone helping me through it now." She tried to be vague, not wanting to make the night uncomfortable but knew that they'd avoided the topic during the week.

"I'm glad that someone had been there for you Hermione. I'm sorry I was such a git." He giggled a little nervously avoiding her eyes.

"Oh, Harry, it's fine. It is a more recent development. For a while I was coping but it all culminated and I ended up running into an acquaintance and they talked me into thinking about moving forward. It's been good Harry, really good, so far."

"Well, good then." Harry said finally meeting her eyes. They sat in an awkward silence for about a minute before Harry brought out a board game and they proceeded to play. After Hermione won for having the most property and they were all out of money Harry guided her to her room and lifted the locking spell he'd cast ages ago.

He'd had to lock it up after Ginny had wanted to throw out all of the brunette's things and use the room as an extra closet. Harry wanted Hermione and Ron both to always have a place to stay, because of school and them going with him during seventh year, it was the very least he could do.

Offering them some sort of permanence and stability in their life. He felt he owed them that much at least. Hermione opened the door and giggled at the way things looked exactly the same. A little remodeled because of the upgrades in the paint and woodwork but still had her things, her bookshelf and books.

She picked up her old copy of 'Hogwarts, A History' and laughed.

"I haven't read this in ages!" She already opened it and plopped onto her childhood bed. Harry grinned at her.

"Goodnight Hermione. I'll be down the hall in the drawing room with James until he gets up again, then we will make our way to the third floor where the master room and nursery are."

"Goodnight Harry. Thanks. James is so precious. Weird having you as a dad yeah?" She mused, he grinned.

"Definitely." And with that he was back down the hall leaving Hermione in the room she used to share with Ginny amongst her childhood belongings.

XXXXXXX

Forgot to put in the disclaimer in the first chapter.

***** I don't own the characters from Harry Potter nor do I make a profit on this work. All plot regarding the books and movies are owned by JK Rowling and her constituents and no copyright is intended. The plot for this story and any original characters however are owned by this author. *****

I will try to update once a week, usually by Wednesday. Reviews are helpful. Feedback is always appreciated, as is criticism, so long as it is constructive. Thanks so much for the reviews I've already received and the follows. I didn't expect so much good feedback.

I also can't figure out how to go back and edit my chapters without deleting the existing one…..tips in a PM would be appreciated as I'm still fairly new to the site.

The romance between Draco and Hermione will be slow. I have some very wonderful scenes that are of mature content ready in the wings for when they finally get down to "business". Hah. If intimate scenes aren't you're cup of tea I'll be sure to include a warning so you can skip the parts you aren't comfortable reading. I'll try to do that throughout the entire work.

I'll try not to put too many of these remarks in as I don't like to take away from the story. Still looking for a Beta if someone is interested PM me please. Enjoy!

~Elocin


	3. Chapter 3

CH. 3

His lips grazed her neck as it trailed soft kisses from her mouth. His hands framing her face as he hovered above her. His grey eyes staring into hers with a look of adoration or love. She would have laughed if her heart wasn't soaring and her breathing uneven with desire.

His hands stroked her cheeks and neck as his head dipped even lower to rain kisses down her chest. Her fingers ran through his silky blonde strands. She felt an ache deep within her belly and between her legs. Her knickers were wet with her need. His lips made their way back up to her own and she opened to his questing tongue.

"Merlin Draco!" She moaned at his kisses. She felt desire like she'd never felt before and his kisses left her breathless and dizzy.

"Hermione, I want you." He said staring in her eyes. She moaned in pleasure against his lips once more as he kissed her again. He lowered his body against hers and she felt the weight for the first time. She moaned and arched into him, their clothes creating a barrier between the two. She moaned again and begged him with her eyes to give her what she needed.

"Please Draco!"

Hermione woke to her hand between her legs. She'd not touched herself since she's been in Hogwarts. No…..there had been that one time when Ron had left her and Harry had been on watch outside the tent, but that barely counted. She was a bit disturbed that she'd had a dream about Malfoy.

Why did he affect her in that way? Was it because he'd been the most recent body she'd made contact with. His scent had intoxicated her mind and made her think naughty thoughts. Oh, but she wanted to be so naughty with him. Her cheeks burned red at the thought.

She groaned in aggravation at her traitorous thought. She'd not thought about anyone in a sexual way or felt desire in over 2 years. Closer to three. Not since her time in the Malfoy Manor. She didn't understand her body's behavior in regards to the man who'd seen her abuse firsthand. It didn't make sense.

She went into the bathroom and took a shower. It was early in the morning and she figured Harry was still sleeping with James. She looked around and saw she'd forgotten clean clothes in her room. She mentally kicked herself.

Wrapping the towel around her body she walked back to her room, only to come face to face with Ginny Weasley Potter who looked stunned before her face became as red as her hair and Hermione knew she was about to explode, much like her brother.

Ginny had been home for about 20 minutes before making her way up the stairs. She paused seeing the room she'd once shared with Hermione opened. Her heart pounded. She then saw the brunette in question leaving the bathroom starkers, well wrapped in a towel but really!?

Ginny wanted to think this was an innocent encounter, but after her night out with Blasé Zabini she immediately came to the conclusion that Harry bought his once friend home for the action he wasn't getting from his wife. She felt a little guilt at that, but then outrage burned bright.

"Just what in the bloody hell do you think you're doing here in my home Hermione?" Ginny screeched, whipping her wand out. Hermione's eyes went wide. Ginny was off her rocker! Hermione had nothing really she could say that wouldn't sound awful to the angry witch in front of her.

"Ginny, calm yourself. I was staying over. I'm going to be visiting Teddy today and Harry said I could stop in and stay here before we go. Would you care to join us?" Hermione tried to think. To appease the temperamental redhead. Ginny regarded her angrily.

"HARRY POTTER!" She screamed. Within moments they heard the cry of a child and muffled mumblings and stomping. Harry came down quickly, still in ruffled clothes from last night, his face even more harrowed than before. Carrying a distraught infant.

"Blimey Gin, I only got James to sleep about an hour or so ago. What's wrong?" He hadn't noticed the woman backed against the wall in her towel and a wand in her face. Ginny glared at him. He pulled his glasses from a pocket and placed them on his face. His eyes widened slightly as he surveyed the scene warily.

"What is she doing here naked Harry Potter?" Ginny spat at him. Harry rubbed his temples in exhaustion. He'd not expected Ginny to be jealous of Hermione. She was nothing more than a friend. What was her deal lately?

"I'm assuming she took a shower Gin. She came over because we had plans today to visit Teddy. We figured we'd catch up a bit last night, and she brought a teething toy for James as she's never met him." Harry explained.

"You're sleeping with her!" Ginny accused. "It's why you're tired, you were up all night shagging her senseless in our marriage bed!" Hermione saw red at that.

"Excuse me Genevra Molly Potter! But I've never shagged anyone in my whole life, let alone Harry! He's married, to you might I add!" Hermione didn't feel bad admitting she was still a virgin, these two were still her friends.

"Gin, you also know that I've been up most every night this week with James because you've been late coming in from your post-baby training to get back to the Harpies. Can't let Alicia keep your chaser spot can we? James was up for about five hours last night, refusing to go back to bed. You know bloody well he's been fussy this week." Harry added not raising his voice the way Hermione had. Ginny played for the Holyhead Harpies and Alicia Spinnet had been subbing for her in her absence.

Ginny seemed to consider their words and her face began returning to its normal color. She lowered her wand.

"You could have at least sent me an owl to tell me we'd have company. I would have loved to have joined you." She smiled. Hermione frowned a bit at Ginny's sickly sweet tone, like she wasn't really wanting to believe them.

"Sorry Gin, it was a last minute thing. I'll try to remember next time friends stop in." Harry said and took the cranky James down to the first floor kitchens to make breakfast. Ginny glared once more at Hermione before stalking off to their bedroom.

"What in the bloody hell just happened?" Hermione muttered to no one and went back into her room. She opened her purse and unshrank her vodka. She drank a few gulps before capping it, shrinking it and putting it back in her purse. She then pulled her parchment and a pen out to write why she drank.

 _One: Irate Redheads who accuse you of things you haven't done._

 _Two: Naughty dreams that you really don't want to ponder._

After a second she thought about it and then she crossed the second one out and quickly got dressed.

XXXXXXXXX

Ron and Viktor clasped hands for the front cover of the Bulgarian Times. He had been a Keeper for the Bulgaria Quiddich team for about a year, since Lev Zograf had gone out on leave due to injury. Ron had been drafted from the Chudley Cannon's. He had been ecstatic to finally achieve success outside of Harry and Hermione's shadows.

They went out to celebrate their victory over Romania. After a few hours at the bar they walked towards the hotel arm in arm Ron humming a rendition of "Weasley is Our King."

"So Ronald, do you still hear from Hermyowninny?" Viktor asked randomly. They'd avoided talking about her for the last eleven months, preferring safer topics, or just drinking and celebrating with women. Ron scowled for a second then brushed it off.

"Nah, haven't talked to her in years. She went all barmy mate." Ron giggled into his alcohol. Viktor was surprised at this.

"She seemed pretty together ven last I saw her, vat vas it, four or five years ago?" His thick brow furrowing in memory.

"The war changed people mate, she wasn't the same afterwards." Ron explained, and for the first time saw with clarity that he'd been in the wrong about the situation between the two of him. How had it taken him two years to figure it out? He had tried to put her back into her Pre-war box.

Pretending she was the same. That she wasn't somehow effected by what all had been done and what all she had seen in the war. He wasn't even sure what all she had been made to endure, being apart from her for some time during the Horcrux hunt, and then separated in Malfoy Manor where he had heard her screams but couldn't be sure what exactly happened with her. She really hadn't been the same.

"How many games do we have left before leave?" Ron asked suddenly, he was in desperate need to speak to her, to apologize. She was his first love, even if she wasn't his "first" that he'd been with. That part of him had gone to Lavender. She'd been attacked in the final battle at Hogwarts and had barely survived her injuries from Fenrir Greyback.

She was now a bitten Werewolf. Her and Bill sometimes ran together, though Bill's mate was Fleur, not Lavender. Ron still saw Lav sometimes, he even slept with her on occasion when home on leave or when she visited. They were exclusive, more like friends with benefits.

"About 6, another two months' vorth. Practices are going to be doubling over the next few veeks because season is ending." Ron frowned at Viktor's words. Blimey, another two months. He supposed he could write an owl….maybe Harry could go and talk to her, but Harry wasn't talking much to him either and Gin had been busy with the baby.

Ron decided to write to Gin and see if she'd put in a good word for him so Hermione might start thinking of taking him back before he came home. Smiling again at his plans he clapped Viktor on the back again and together they went into the hotel for some much needed rest.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione sat at her desk again on Monday and sighed. The new Centaur land dispute was going to be a pain. She'd have to go out to the property line and figure out the boundaries as well as talk to the two herd leaders….if she could even figure out who they were.

Centaur's were not known for giving real answers nor were they good with communicating to others outside their species. For this dispute to have been brought to the Ministry's attention someone was definitely breaking from the Centaur's traditions.

She felt exhausted. After the whole fiasco with Ginny, Hermione had gone to breakfast alone, where she'd spiked her tea with a small shot bottle. She met Harry later in the day to go see Teddy. Ginny had come along but hadn't really wanted anything to do with James or Teddy.

Ginny kept holding on to Harry's arm and making sure Hermione noticed. Hermione was very puzzled at her behavior. She'd known Gin most of her life and had never acted possessive over Harry. Hermione almost thought she was overdoing it a bit. Andromeda had been very polite, and the four had enjoyed a lovely afternoon. Afterwards Hermione said her goodbyes, kissing both Teddy and James.

Hermione then spent all of Saturday and Sunday in her flat drinking heavily. She honestly didn't remember what day it was until her alarm went off signaling for her to get up and ready for work. She pulled out her parchment since she obviously wasn't going to get any work done on the land dispute case until she left to visit the property. She added a few things.

 _One: Irate Redheads who accuse you of things you haven't done._

 _Two: Naughty dreams that you really don't want to ponder. –Crossed out._

 _Two: Breakfasting alone because of someone's serious trust issues_

 _Three: Being glared at and made to feel uncomfortable for visiting with friends, their children, and godchild._

 _Four: Bored, nothing to do around the house_

 _Five: Lonely, should really try to see what Nev and Hannah wanted a few weeks ago._

 _Six: Guilty of harming the most important people in my life._

 _Seven: Depressed over the hopelessness of everything._

 _Eight: Crazy naughty dreams again….. –Crossed out_

 _Eight: Angry, no one to vent to, might as well have a drink._

 _Nine: Feeling pain for being stupid about messing up lives again_

 _Ten: Might as well say that I drank all bloody Sunday….who cares, it's my day off and no one was visiting anyways._

Hermione was happy with her list. This was the hardest and most honest she had ever been, but she still couldn't write about what she'd done to her parent's. She wasn't the best at discussing her failures and that one was a colossal one. The one good thing was that she'd sent out an owl to Neville after she arrived to work to see when she could meet with him and Hannah to discuss whatever he had wanted to say last week in the café.

The first half of the week went well, she'd made it out to the property and found two herds living not-quite-so compatibly together. Each giving very good and valid reasons for their land being their herds. One had historical history, the other had familial history.

Hermione would have to do some digging to see what she could come up with on the actual land itself. It had taken her most of Monday, all day Tuesday and Wednesday to get the information from the centaur leaders. Vague lot that they were. Wednesday night she had to meet Neville at St. Mungo's.

They were to meet in the Janus Thickey Conference Room # 2 at 7:30pm. It was almost 7 when Hermione made her way to the abandoned department store front and went into the hospital. She made her way to the correct floor and stopped in at the reception desk/mediwitch station. She signed herself in and made her way to the conference room.

Hermione met Hannah and Neville in the room both had been smiling and joking about a coworker before noticing Hermione. Both stood with smiled still on their faces and hugged the slight witch. Hermione smiled back and sat down at the table.

"We'd like to discuss with you and have you sign for alternative treatment to your parents'. Before you say no Hermione, this is working. It's not completely permanent yet but it reverses spell damage temporarily and Hannah and I are making strives to improve the longevity of the time to stabilize the reversal into a more permanent state. We talk to Mum and Dad daily. They are improving Hermione!" Neville was so excited he could scarcely contain himself.

Hermione's breath caught. They were trying to undo the damage she'd caused to her parents'? Improving with Alice and Frank Longbottom who's been in the Janus Thickey Ward since the first Wizarding War over 21 years earlier.

"Hermione, can we give them the therapy potions and treatments?" Hannah asked gently. Hermione blinked realizing tears were falling down her cheeks. She nodded unable to say anything.

Hannah pushed a parchment over to her and handed her a quill. Hermione signed without even looking at it. If her friends could help her mum and dad she was all for it. The fact that they'd been experimenting with Neville's parents' and wanted to help hers was the sweetest thing she'd ever heard. She couldn't believe that Neville and Hannah had done something so selfless for the greater good.

Hermione felt the familiar ache of being worthless again and smiled to her former classmates.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me Nev, Hannah. Thank you. You can start whenever you're ready. I've." She took a tear filled shaky breath and continued. "I've got to go. Thanks again." She gave them hugs and with tears in her eyes she made her way unseeing out of the hospital. She found her way to a muggle pub and went in.

She ordered a bottle of bourbon and a glass, placing the money on the counter. She drank it straight and loved the feeling of the whiskey as it went down her throat smooth. She drank half the bottle over the course of two hours and was a little unsteady on her feet. She took the bottle with her to the loo where she shrank it, tossed it in her purse and left out the door.

Hermione wasn't sure where she was going but she couldn't shake the feeling of worthlessness. She shook her head, clearing the haze again and thought of the one place that might not be so lonely and she could talk. She sobbed again and made her way down an alley, hiding in an entranceway Hermione apparated away with a pop.

XXXXXXX

Draco had been sitting at his office desk in the Manor going over some paperwork on the Nott domestic dispute. Apparently Theo and Pansy had more issues to work out than either let known to the public. Pansy had thrown a vase in a fit of rage at not getting her way or something like that and it had shattered against the side of poor Theo's head. Theo had then brought her to counseling because of it.

Draco shook his head, he was very glad to have dodged that hex. Or if he's been a muggle he would have used the word "Bullet". He smirked at the muggle's use of a weapon called guns. Who needed guns when you had magic that could send a hex or curse in less time then it took for a bullet to make impact. And the likelihood of a hex missing its intended target wasn't as great as that of a bullet.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, he was getting a headache. The pop of apparation had Draco jumping up and pointing his wand in a menacing manner, until he saw a very distraught Hermione crumpled on the floor. She was sobbing her heart out and smelled very strongly of bourbon. A high quality one too Draco smiled, then realized that it wasn't the time or place to be a snob.

Going over to her but not touching her, though his fingers twitched to help her from the floor he bent down.

"What happened?" He asked.

She just sobbed harder and thrust the parchment at him. It was her list. He read it.

 _Sat:_

 _One: Irate Redheads who accuse you of things you haven't done._

 _Two: Naughty dreams that you really don't want to ponder. –Crossed out._

 _Two: Breakfasting alone because of someone's serious trust issues_

 _Three: Being glared at and made to feel uncomfortable for visiting with friends, their children, and godchild._

 _Four: Bored, nothing to do around the house_

 _Five: Lonely, should really try to see what Nev and Hannah wanted a few weeks ago._

 _Six: Guilty of harming the most important people in my life._

 _Seven: Depressed over the hopelessness of everything._

 _Eight: Crazy naughty dreams again….. –Crossed out_

 _Sunday_

 _Eight: Angry, no one to vent to, might as well have a drink._

 _Nine: Feeling pain for being stupid about messing up lives again_

 _Ten: Might as well say that I drank all bloody Sunday….who cares, it's my day off and no one was visiting anyways._

 _Monday_

 _Eleven: Miss my cat, friends, and family_

 _Twelve: Disturbing dreams during the war_

 _Tuesday_

 _Thirteen: Anxious about meeting tomorrow night_

 _Fourteen: Naughty dreams –crossed out_

 _Fourteen: Weird dream that was very disturbing about the war_

 _Wednesday_

 _Fifteen: Anxious about meeting tonight_

 _Sixteen: Meeting tonight-anxious, sad_

 _Seventeen: Feeling horrible, worthless, incompetent, meeting finally over._

He didn't even know what to say. She'd made progress but really had a low opinion of herself. It looked as if something had happened at Potter's. He made her stand and sit on his couch. He sat at her side waiting for her to calm enough to talk about what happened. It was about nine thirty at night and he was exhausted.

It had been his day to sleep in and he'd had the whole Pansy-Theo thing happen at 7 this morning. She'd shown up in his bedroom flipping out on him about her husband. Theo had followed her right into his room still bleeding and they got into a row with him still half naked under his covers. He finally yelled for them to get the fuck out and let him dress.

Merlin, this really was a day from hell he thought for the thousandth time today.

After that fiasco with the Nott idiots he had finally had breakfast at ten. Went into the office in Diagon Alley and Potter had come to him with a case. A few hours working it he decided to lunch and his mother had yet again set him up with a lunch date. This time it was some woman named Jacqueline, but please call her Jacqui.

Horrible lunch followed by another case, this time from Dean Thomas, who was also an Auror. That case had taken a few more hours. He had dinner followed by another round with the two idiot Notts. Now this. He really did not want to be dealing with this. He had a headache and was too tired to be of any use to her right now.

"Granger, do you want to talk about any of these things? And why have you crossed three items out if they made you drink?" He asked as her sobs subsided a little. Hermione felt her heart sink lower in her chest. He would bring up the only thing she would never want to talk about.

"I hate myself." She sobbed. "I did something t-terrible to my mum and dad." His eyebrows raised in surprise, this was new. She'd not talked about them yet. He knew under the Dark Lord's regime the Death Eater's had been tasked with looking for them and disposing of them, but they'd failed in that task.

"Go on." He cautiously prodded. She kept her face in her hands.

"I obliviated them during my time on the run and sent them away in hiding so they wouldn't be killed. Afterwards when I went to reverse the spell, I ended up damaging them. They were driven mad. I did to them what B-Bellatrix had done to Nev's parents' without even throwing an unforgivable. Even though Obliviate should be an unforgivable…how could I have done that and then failed to reverse it.

"I'm worthless. I did not even try to figure out how to reverse the damage, I just took my failure and accepted it. Now someone might be able to reverse it and I feel even worse. They will hate me for making them lose going on 5 years of their life, if they are even able to live in some resemblance of their former manner." She continued, her sobbing now ceased but her head still hanging in her hands.

"You did what you had to do Granger. They would be dead if you hadn't sent them away." Draco informed her gently.

"They're no better than if they were dead right now Malfoy. They have no quality of life. Just sit in a room and stare. Can't even talk to one another. I don't even know if they are able to understand what is going on because of the damage to their mind. You're a mind healer, you should be able to understand traumatic brain injuries and the like." She said with an impassionate wave of her hand.

"I do know about spell damage and effects. But you said that Longbottom found a way to reverse the damages that were done to your parents'?" He asked and she nodded.

"And you feel that because he became a healer along with his wife to work towards reversing spell damages done to all residents in the JT Ward you are a failure?" Draco asked raising a brow hoping she'd see how ridiculous that sounded. She grinned for the first time that night.

"I suppose when you put it that way they just went into a different field than myself. Oh I am so stupid." She groaned outing her head back in her hands.

The smartest witch of our generation and she thinks she's stupid? Draco shook his head.

"Now, about your list. Want to talk about anything on it?" He asked.

"I wrote why I drank. Even wrote a few things about how I felt that led me to drink. It makes me sleep without dreams." She said. Draco nodded looking at the list again. He really needed to sleep.

"I want you to delve into ways to handle the smaller things, without drinking. I get that you need to sleep throughout the night without nightmares or strange dreams, but try to find another way before drinking if you're able. I would like you to start a new list. Work on that for the remainder of the week. Friday night we will go over the both of them." Draco said confident that she was ok now to go home and not dwell on her guilt and self-worth.

He would start a confidence boosting assignment next week. He just couldn't think straight to do it tonight. Hermione stood and nodded then without saying goodbye she apparated back to her home.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco and Blaise went out to the bar on a Saturday, he'd needed to get out so took the night off. He'd been working more hours lately anyway. He couldn't stop the nightmares. He heard echoes of Nagini's hisses and felt the brush of her scales. The realistic sensations always woke him with a shudder.

He also had weird visions of himself, Vincent and Greg running through the Room of Requirements being chased by the beast of feindfyre. Usually he woke when the latter had been consumed by the flames.

"Draco, when you said Pansy had decided to open up a new nightclub you never told me it was a muggle and wizarding nightclub." Blaise laughed.

"She has exclusive VIP boxes up on the second floor just for wizards." Draco told him. Blaise wasn't very prejudiced against muggles anymore. After most of the parents' in their group had been sent away to Azkaban for their roles and involvement to Lord Voldemort in the war the kids and remaining adults had been sent to spend a few months without magic in muggle London as part of a whole reform program.

Draco had been a part of the program. He'd had to do his muggle service in a bookstore for about 6 months before he enrolled in a social work program at a local University. He was able to get in touch with St. Mungo's and was able to study Mind Healing in tandem to his social work studies. He liked his work overall.

It had been over a month since he's started counseling Granger, and he was trying to keep himself professional. Since the night she'd come into his office upset about her parents' he'd been encouraging her to find ways to boost her confidence. She'd been responding beautifully. She still used alcohol to sleep, but her list had dwindled to once a day, and a few times over the weekends.

Draco followed his friend up the stairs and there met the raven haired witch who owned the place.

"Draco! Blaise! How absolutely wonderful it is to see you both! Here, have a wristband, they are to get into the VIP boxes, and get exclusive perks." Pansy smiled and gave them a wink before making her way over to another group that she had just spied.

"Leave it to Pans to not mince words." Blaise smiled while both he and Draco put on their wristbands.

"So how is work going Draco?" Blaise asked.

"I don't really want to talk about it. What about you?" Draco asked his friend. Blaise was a mocha skinned Italian man, he had short black hair and caramel colored eyes. Most girls found him very attractive.

"Same, boring. Day after day its complaints, or orders." Blaise said. He'd gone into the family business and worked in an investment firm. He wanted to break away and start a chain of hotels, but he hadn't found the right location for it yet. The two chatted idly about the women in the club for a few minutes before Blaise spied a one with potential and nodded his goodbye to Draco.

Draco smirked at the tall leggy brunette Blasé had gone over to talk to. Her dress had a low back and she had an ass you could bounce a quarter off of. Draco looked around thinking of the time he spent at Hermione's. Her skirt came off and those legs that ran for miles up to those green panties.

Merlin, he needed to stop thinking about her. She was a client now and he needed to stay professional. He needed to get laid. He saw a blonde across the room, not as tall as the brunette Blaise had found. Her sky blue dress was almost as skimpy as the brunettes red one though. He grabbed two drinks from the tray circling around the room and went towards her.

XXXXXX Mature Content XXXXXX

Draco thrust into the blonde panting as she moaned. He gripped her hips and moved her back and forth on his cock as she rode him in the chair in the VIP box. She'd wasted no time in wanting to get him alone and his pants down. Fine by him. He needed a stress reliever after the month of celibacy he'd had. She'd not even taken her dress off, just pulled her panties off and threw them across the room then jumped on him.

She worked herself down his shaft until he was fully enveloped within her.

"Merlin, you feel so good." She moaned. What was her name again? Draco wondered. Oh well, it doesn't matter. He lifted her up and down to impale her harder. He needed this. She rode him hard, he felt the familiar tightening and slipped his hand between her legs to circle her clit.

She threw her head back and he felt her walls clamp and pulse until she let out a wail. Her walls milked him as he came inside her with a quiet grunt. She panted against his shoulder as he performed the contraceptive charm on her.

She kissed him before getting off of him and going back out to the party, leaving her panties across the room. Draco cast a cleansing charm on himself and pulled his pants back up from his ankles. He felt sick. He was tired of one-offs. He never thought he'd see the day where he wanted something steady. He ran his hand through his hair. As he stood and finished pulling and buttoning his pants and fixed his belt then went to the Apparation point.

XXXXXX End Mature Content XXXXXX

Draco went into his office at the Manor feeling a churning in his stomach. He'd never had problems with shagging random females before. What had happened to him? He'd been too busy this past month with work to have been able to go out. What was the matter with him? He frowned.

Granger's file was on the top of his desk, spelled so if someone other than himself looked at it it looked like a blank and empty folder. His hand shook as he picked it up and opened it. She was the reason he'd not wanted any one-offs. She was the reason he was feeling sick. Could it be he felt guilty for shagging the blonde?

Draco felt as though he'd been punched in the gut. He hadn't ever felt guilt in regards to his sex life before. He wasn't dating anyone or exclusive with anyone, and even when he had been he'd never felt guilty for his shagging, that was his business. Until he was married and had the fidelity vow thrust upon him he'd never seen the reason to end his one-offs.

He tossed the folder down and sat at his desk and buried his head in his hands. He was so confused at his thoughts.

XXXXXX

Hermione had been crying for about three hours since she'd gotten home. She felt an ache in her chest and seriously wanted a drink. Her parents' had spoken to her a little today. They had memories of being Grangers' and memories of being Wilkins'. The Mind Healer's at St. Mungo's were trying to help them sort through their memories and create a semblance of order to them.

It was only about ten thirty and she felt her heart breaking. She'd done this to her parents'. She loved being able to have conversations with them. Her mum had been very sweet, telling her it was ok. That she understood and would have done the same thing had she been in Hermione's shoes. Neither of her parents' blamed her but she couldn't stop blaming herself.

Since their treatment started four weeks ago Hermione had been to see them three times. Each time had gone better than the last. They were more cognizant and talkative. Apparently they were aware for longer periods of time, the spell damage was being reversed at gradual intervals. Within another three months they should be good as new.

Hermione couldn't stand it anymore. She fixes her makeup and sooths down her jeans and long sleeve jumper before she grabs her purse and apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

She walked in and ordered a Firewhiskey. Drinking that she turns in her chair and surveys the patrons. She doesn't know anyone here. Good. She turns back to the bar and after finishing the first orders a second firewhiskey.

A few hours later she made her way into the darkened alley heading to the apparation point to Apparate home. Her mind was mercifully blank. She heard the bricks moving and saw a group of wizards coming out of Diagon Alley. They were a Quiddich team of some sort. She could barely make out the robes in the darkness and with her vision as blurry as it was.

"Oy, you there? What's a pretty thing like you doin' out back 'ere?" One of the wizards asked genuinely concerned. The four men turned to where she stood leaning heavily against the wall. Shock was on two of the men's faces.

"Hermi-ninny!" Viktor said and rushed over at the same time Ron did.

"Blimey 'Mione, what are you doing out here?" Ron asked beside her. She felt sick. Both her exes on either side of her and all she wanted was to get home and pass out. Her eyes closed at the thought of sleep. She tried to pry her eyes back open but they didn't seem to want to cooperate.

"I got you, come one, let's go this way." Ron whispered sweetly as her head rolled into his arm. "Is she hurt?" Viktor immediately went searching for any injuries or signs of spells.

"Novare that I can see." He informed Ron.

"I'll take her into Diagon Alley and see if I can't talk to her a bit." Ron said, not wanting to take the limp woman into the bar. The remaining team members went into the bar and to their rooms upstairs. Viktor wanted to go with Ron, but seemed to think they needed time alone to sort things out. Viktor followed his team members and Ron tapped on the brick that led into Diagon Alley.

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Ron asked. He'd been heading here for the last game and then he was going to find her and talk to her about getting back with him. His season was ending and he was going to take the position in England's national quiddich team.

"Wanted to drink Ron." She said, her eyes still heavy but she had managed to crack them open. He looked angry and concerned at once. The emotions at war with one another on his face. She blinked her eyes open the rest of the way. She was sitting on a bench near the entryway to Knockturn Alley not too far from the Leaky.

"Why are you here?" She spat angrily. He looked at her sharply.

"I came to get you back. I'm sorry 'Mione, I was an idiot. I love you and want you back. Surely it's been enough time for you to get over being angry." He tried to smile and charm her. It didn't work.

"You are so clueless! How could you think I'd want to get back with you after all we've been through you selfish bastard." She ground out. Her hands clenched into fists. Her head was still very hazy and her eyes didn't want to focus on him.

"Fine 'Mione, you want to stay mad, then stay mad. I'll talk to you when you're more reasonable and not all barmy." He grumbled angrily and took off back the way he came.

Hermione sobbed into her hands.

"Whatcha doin' out here girly?" A menacing voice growled at her. Hermione had her wand pointed in the direction before the man realized what happened.

"Leave me be." Her voice was strong and not as fearful and shaky as she felt. She could make it to the Apparation Point down the way only a few yards. She was sure if her legs didn't felt like jelly and very heavy.

"Oh ho! The girly has a bit of fight in her." He grinned yellowed and blackened teeth. His dark cloak hid his silhouette and she couldn't discern his facial features other than his yellow beady eyes, pointy nose, and crooked grin. She felt sick. She threw a quick 'expelliarmus' at him and took off running.

She was slower than normal, the alcohol making her weak, sluggish, and disoriented. Hands yanked her down as she kicked with her feet. She heard him curse and felt pain in her head as his hand struck her cheek and her head hit the cobbled stones of the ground. She was dazed a moment before she realized the wizard was kicking her and stomping on her. She curled in fetal position trying to protect herself as best she could.

"Crucio!" He yelled and she screamed as fire flowed through her veins, her fingers and toes contracting involuntarily. She flailed and whimpered and screamed endlessly. The curse ended and she lay there panting, tears pouring down her face. She felt more than saw the man climb on top of her. She had no fight left. He was fumbling with her jeans, she knew what was to happen. She hoped he would get it over with quickly.

"Wha-!" The weight was lifted from her and she heard a scuffle and curses. Why couldn't she focus? She was seeing the stars in the sky above her head, wishing she were anywhere but here. She saw the reds, greens, and blues or curses being sent back and forth but didn't hear any words being said.

A moment later she saw the dark hair, face, and caramel eyes of a familiar face. He was talking to her but she just stared at him, not really understanding, she vaguely registered a flash of white. She blinked as tears continued to run down her face.

Blaise had heard a scream on his way to the Apparation point. He pulled his wand out and came across the scene. The woman was lying there nearly unconscious while the man tried to pull her pants down. Blaise threw a curse and the man fell off of her. He dueled the wizard until at the last moment the wizard took off to the apparation point and disappeared. Blaise ran over to the woman. He saw the wand still clasped limply in her fingers, the familiar Vinewood of Hermione Granger. His eyes widened and he looked at the witch's face.

"Granger! Granger! You're ok, it's ok!" He conjured his patronus, a falcon, and sent it to Draco.

Draco had been sitting in his office still when the falcon came through his wall.

"Bring two broomsticks to Diagon Alley near Leaky, Granger's been attacked. No magic, worried about spell damage. Hurry!" Blaise's voice screamed at him. Draco went into action and within minutes he had two miniature Nimbus 2001's in his pocket and he apparated to the Leaky.

Blaise saw Draco running from the Apparation Point and waved him closer. Draco's heart went into his throat as he looked at the witch. Her pants were unbuttoned but not unzipped, her jumper was ripped and dirty, her face had swelling on both her left cheek and her right forehead.

His chest hurt when he saw Hermione's lip was cut and bleeding. She also had a little blood coming from her nose and ear, like she'd been in a bomb explosion. Her eyes were very glassy and unfocused. Empty and emotionless minus the tears coming from them.

Draco quickly unshrank the brooms and they both pulled the catatonic witch up to sitting position. Draco scooped Hermione up and Blaise helped hold his broomstick while he mounted it. He had Hermione positioned side-saddle on his broom in front of him.

He had one arm holding her against him, and one across her lap that was also holding the broom. Blaise mounted his own broom disillusioned the three of them and the brooms. They made their way to St. Mungo's.

Hermione felt cold, she felt wind and cold. She couldn't think, her head ached. She felt as though she were floating in the air, wait? Was she floating in the air? She felt an arm around her back, the hand from that arm against her side holding her in place. Another arm held across her lap with that hand gripping a broom handle. She sat snugly between warm thighs and her body was nestled against a strong chest and chin.

She was dimly aware of words being spoken and the fact that she was on a broom. She was shivering and her teeth chattered. Was her body going into shock or was it really just that cold? She felt her air coming in fast spurts and even the hand that clasped her to the body behind her couldn't stop her from sinking into unconsciousness.

"Hermione, its ok, Granger, we're almost there, hold on sweet, almost there, its ok. We've got you, you're safe." Draco kept talking long after he felt her become limp in his arms. She'd had another panic attack, but he couldn't stop, they had to get to St. Mungo's.

The pair of brooms landed and Blaise reversed the disillusionment charm and grabbed the brooms while Draco lifted the witch in his arms and ran towards the door.

"Someone get here now!" Draco demanded in a thundering voice. He had Medi-witches and healers scrambling.

"What happened?"

"Who is it?"

"Malfoy?"

Draco ignored them all and placed the witch on the stretcher one of the Healer's had brought over.

"Hermione Granger has been attacked, we think with an unforgivable." Blaise told one of the Healers.

"Get Neville Longbottom!" They heard one of the Healer's yell. Within moments the group were bring taken to the Spell damage ward. Draco and Blaise were kept out in the hallway while the professionals went to work on the witch.

Neville came running through the hallway stopping when he saw Blaise and Draco standing outside Hermione's room.

"No time, I'll keep you informed." He said and ducked into the room. He was not prepared to see the witch who only hours ago had been healthy and happy in front of him talking with and about her parents'. The medi-witches and Healers had her clothes off and were fixing her ribs, apparently a few of them were broken. One had punctured a lung. Her body was going into shock and organs on the verge of shutting down.

Neville felt his heart breaking before he pushed away his feelings and went into professional mode. He worked on his friend for hours using limited magic. She'd been crucio'd again. Her internal organs were damaged, her womb sustaining the majority of the damages.

Neville only knew of the previous damages because Harry had confided in him once that Hermione couldn't have children because of Bellatrix's curses during the war. Neville sighed. After they'd stabilized Hermione and gave her potions for bones, organ and tissue damage, and pain he made his way out to the two men waiting to talk to him.

"Longbottom, what's happening with Granger?" Draco asked in a demanding voice. Neville was still intimidated by the wizard who'd taunted him throughout childhood.

"She sustained several injuries, the attacker beat her physically and magically. She was hit with the Cruciatus curse. I have to inform her parents'. They'll want to come down and visit. Would you like to assist me?" Neville asked. If Draco and Blaise helped him bring Hermione's mum and dad to see her then maybe they'd think better of muggles. Both the wizards nodded. Neville led them to the JT Ward and introduced them to Hermione's parents'.

Draco wondered at the muggles in front of him. Last he'd heard from Hermione was that they were irresponsive and were working on being cured from the spell damage she'd done to them. Here were a lively Mr. and Mrs. Granger smiling and nodding with Neville as he explained that they were going to visit Hermione. Mrs. Granger frowned and teared up when she heard her little girl had been attacked.

"Maybe she should send us into hiding again." Hermione's father said. Neville shook his head.

"It was unrelated to the wizarding war. That's been over for a few years now." Blaise and Draco looked at one another at Neville's words. Draco knew why, Blaise hadn't been informed and was sure to have questions.

The five of them made their way down to Hermione's room. Draco assisted Mr. Granger and Blaise assisted Mrs. Granger into the room. Draco's heart caught in his throat at the sight of the witch in a standard St. Mungo's gown. She looked so small and frail in that bed, almost like a child. Draco stayed in the room while Blaise went out to ask Neville the questions he wanted to ask.

"So who are you to my daughter?" Mr. Granger asked Draco. Draco thought for a moment on this. He was nothing to her really.

"I'm her mind healer. She talks to me about things, much like a muggle therapist." He told them honestly. Mr. Granger nodded.

"You care about her and her wellbeing. Can we sign her care decisions to you?" He asked honestly. Draco was shocked. Where had that come from?

"Er….yeah, sure." He struggled to get the words out. They were essentially giving him proxy over her healthcare decisions if she were to become incapacitated or unable to make decisions for herself.

"Great, Neville said we should probably find a friend to take care of this type of thing, and it is fortunate that we met you. Please respect her wishes and do what is best and right for her. Can you take us back to our room now?" Mrs. Granger said and leaned down to kiss her daughter, Mr. Granger did the same. Draco followed them back out and together they went back up to the JT Ward where Neville and Blaise were talking.

Mr. Granger told Neville about signing healthcare proxy over from them to Draco and they signed the necessary paperwork. Draco couldn't believe this muggle would choose him to make important decisions regarding his daughter. He hoped he wouldn't let the man down.

XXXXXX

Hermione woke in the bright room of St. Mungo's. She was dazed and slightly disoriented. She felt pain in her ribs and head and felt the weariness that only the cruciatus curse could cause on her body. Great, just when she thought it couldn't get worse than Ron showing up, some dark wizard comes up and tortures her. She knew she'd not been violated and thanked Merlin for small favors.

She sat up slowly, shaking her head to clear the haze. She looked around and spied a familiar blonde sat slumped and sleeping in the right side corner of her room in a reclining chair facing her bed. She smiled slightly at the sight of Draco Malfoy sleeping in an uncomfortable hospital chair. His head slumped forward to the left side and feet crossed at the ankles as he reclined back in the chair.

"Morning!" She called to him, hating how hoarse her voice sounded from disuse. He jerked awake scowling as she laughed.

"You're awake, how are you feeling?" Draco asked. She smiled. He got up and came over to her.

"Are you asking as a friend or my shrink?" Draco's brow furrowed at the words.

"Friend I think." He smirked. She smiled, the newly healed skin on her lip just a bit tight.

"I feel like I was beat and tortured." She laughed mirthlessly. Lying her head on the pillow as a dizzy wave crashed upon her mind.

"You were. What were you doing out in Diagon Alley at that time of night anyway?" Draco asked gently.

"I can't remember how I got there, one second I'm in the Leaky, then I think Ronald was there for a moment, then I remember a wizard I didn't recognize attacking me. I was so cold afterwards, I dreamt I was flying." She giggled a little as her mind was once more befuddled with the potions. He smiled a little at the last part. "I hate flying….had to do it enough during the war but…I…..hate…..heights." She murmured as she drifted back to sleep once more.

"I'll keep that in mind in the future." He whispered to the sleeping figure in front of him and sat back down.

Still in need of a BETA, anyone interested please PM or email me. Please review, I could use feedback. Thank you!

~Elocin


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a few weeks and Hermione was finally getting out of the hospital. Neville told her she would need to come back for spell damage potions every week to take home. She would have to drink them daily for the next two months to reverse the damage done to her internal organs. Until then she would be short of breath and have sporadic pain throughout her torso.

Hermione sighed as she walked to the floo. She threw in a handful and stepped into her flat. She was so tired. She had been out of sorts for the first day at St. Mungo's, in and out of sleep because of the potions and concussion she'd sustained when her head hit the cobblestones. She couldn't remember who all had visited her.

She had a few letters on her window sill, she tossed them on the counter not bothering to look at them. She walked into her bedroom and lay down staring at the ceiling.

She decided to change and go shopping. None of her clothes were her size anymore. She'd been eating regularly and was putting her weight back on but her clothes still hung from her thin body. She decided to floo call Ginny to see if she wanted to go with her. As weird as Ginny had been after the encounter at Grimmauld Place she was still a friend and knew about fashion.

"Gin?" Hermione called her heads in the flames of the Potter's drawing room. Blurry feet came through and Ginny Potter smiled at her.

"Hermione, what a surprise, I'm glad you're back home. What can I do for you?" Hermione thought she detected a bit of false cheeriness but had to shrug it off. This was Ginny, her friend from childhood, you know, inside jokes, boy talks, and secrets.

"I need to do some shopping Gin, wanted to know if you'd be up for coming with me." Hermione smiled "You know I'm rubbish at fashion."

Ginny smiled a genuine smile, excited at the prospect of going out shopping with Hermione.

"Give me about ten minutes and I'll floo over!" Gin gushed excitedly. Hermione smiled and came back into her own living room. She puttered around and glanced through her letters. One caught her eye. A large envelop with green writing which she opened.

 _Hermione,_

 _I apologize I haven't been able to visit, was out of town for a while. We must cancel our sessions until next month. I'll owl you when I have returned. I found this and immediately thought of you. Don't read too much into it, think of it as a Get Well Soon present. It just seemed to scream 'Granger' at me so I purchased it on a whim. I thought the set matched your infallible courage._

 _My Sincerest Regards._

 _Draco_

She smiled at the letter and emptied the envelops contents. A small box fell into her hand. She opened it and there staring back at her was the cutest jewelry set. Gold and ruby lion face earrings and a matching necklace and tennis bracelet. The lions were gold with Ruby eyes. It screamed Gryffindor. The tennis bracelet had little lions curled up or in walking positions instead of stones or chain links, except for the one accent that had the same small lion with the ruby eye that was on the necklace and earrings.

Hermione thought it was a good attempt but she wouldn't normally wear something like that. It wasn't that the set was gaudy or large, it was just the most expensive jewelry she'd ever owned. She put the bracelet on, and left the rest in the box, setting it in her closet with her jewelry box. She'd sort the rest later.

Hearing the floo activate Hermione came back from her room to see Ginny waiting for her.

"All set?" Ginny asked and Hermione nodded and they left for Diagon Alley.

XXXXXX

The two girls giggled like they were teenagers again and making fun of Fleur and her obnoxious wedding plans. They'd been shopping for hours and were coming up on the shop where they liked to get their lingerie.

"Oh, I need to get this, Blaise would absolutely love to see this one me! Don't you think it brings out the gold I have in my red hair, I mean-" Ginny continued but Hermione's heart stopped.

Blaise? As in Zabini, same man who saved her in Diagon Alley? Why would-" Hermione gasped and stared at Ginny who was still talking and gushing over a sexy white bustier with black bow and ribbon accents. Ginny looked at her. Then it registered what she had said.

"Hermione, what's gotten in to you?" Ginny said trying to pretend she hadn't made the slip of her lovers name.

"Gin, it's not true is it?" Hermione was shocked. Ginny was cheating on Harry. Her best friend's wife was sleeping with another man.

"Harry doesn't give me what I need. I need passion, and excitement, and to be told what to do. I was Harry's first. He doesn't know what to do and only likes vanilla sex." Ginny whispered feeling guilty as Hermione stared at her in shock.

"Then why stay with him Gin? Or better yet, why not try to do the more adventurous things you like with your husband!" Hermione hissed quietly, getting angry on behalf of Harry.

"Because, you know how he is! Hermione, just because he is a leader in public, doesn't mean he is in the bedroom. He expects me to take the lead and do all the work and I can't be that all the time. I need a Dom." Hermione blinked confused.

"A dom?" She asked her brows furrowed in confusion. Ginny nodded getting impatient and really not wanting to have this conversation.

"As in BDSM, a dominant. Harry is so not. He's a submissive, like me." Ginny stated simply, a little more than uncomfortable.

"But Blaise? He's a playboy! He goes out and parties all the time. He was even out the night they found me in Diagon Alley, surely you know you aren't his only…..plaything." Hermione told her as delicately as she could. Blaise had told her he'd been out and left his date thoroughly sated before coming across Hermione and her attacker….who was still not caught and imprisoned.

Ginny's face was getting as red as her hair, much the way Ron's does. What the hell was Hermione talking about! She'd not been out the night of her attack, she'd been with Harry. Was Hermione telling the truth that Blaise was still seeing other women? How dare him!?

"Ginny, you have to work on your marriage with Harry, you two have a son. James, he's the sweetest little boy I've ever met. Gin, you have to fix your marriage!" Hermione continued trying to reason with the silent redhead.

"Listen here you liar! You will never set foot in my home or near my son or Harry again. How dare you say those things about Blaise, and how dare you accuse me of having an affair!" Ginny changed tactics and glared at Hermione before grabbing her bags abruptly and leaving the store without buying anything. Hermione stood there staring, her mouth open, at the door she'd just disappeared out.

Merlin help her, but she needed a drink. And would Harry believe her if she told him? She sighed, it wasn't her business, but she'd have to tell Harry. She would wait and see what happens, and if Gunny kept cheating then tell him. She really didn't want to be the one to break Harry's heart.

XXXXXX

Ginny apparated into Blaise's flat and heard the noises indicating he was otherwise engaged with another woman. Angrily she stormed out of his home slamming the door behind her knowing he would hear it. It wouldn't do to cause a scene, the woman would identify her as Harry's wife and the paper would have a field day. She quickly apparated away. How dare he use her! The bastard. She decided she would get her revenge. He wasn't the only rich playboy around. She would use his best friend and make Blaise pay for his cheating.

As Gunny stormed through her empty home at 12 Grummauld Place, she refused to acknowledge her own cheating because she still rationalized that she was getting what she needed from an outside source in order to live and love Harry and James. She hated that her son had ruined her athletic figure, no longer lean muscles and flat stomach, but with a slight softness that can only be gotten with motherhood. She hated it.

Blaise never minded the state of her body, and ravished her like she was the only girl in the world. She didn't want to be a mum and she felt she was still in her prime, a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, and budding socialite, now that her status of blood traitor was no longer held over her head. She was after all one of the sacred twenty eight in the wizarding world.

She smiled, she'd seduce Blaise's best friend to get back at him for his infidelity. And perhaps she could increase her status and be the pureblooded heiress she was meant to be as she did so. Ginny smiled as she began to plan.

XXXXXX

Ginny pretended to be ok with Blaise, getting details on the sly, and still being fucked into oblivion. She made sure to keep the contraception charms in place until she got her revenge. Her chance came after three weeks. Blaise had invited his friend along to a dance club. Ginny had slightly altered her looks so that she wasn't recognizable immediately.

Ginny walked up to Draco Malfoy. He smiled at her but otherwise didn't seem interested.

"Hullo, what are you having?" She asked slyly at the Slytherin. He looked her way finally settling on her face after raking his gaze down her body. He did appreciate a lovely figure after all.

"Rum, and what can I get you tonight?" He asked politely, his aristocratic upbringing and manners finally coming out.

"I'll have the same." She smiled, she'd slightly changed the shade of red in her hair, and her facial features were altered subtly. He wouldn't recognize her until she was done with him. She hadn't worn knickers and was wearing a skin tight green dress that complimented the color of her eyes and hair. She couldn't wait to find out if the stories of the Slytherin sex god was true, and she would find out tonight.

She had a vial of lust potion in her cleavage and the other potion that would guarantee her plan's success. He left and when he came back she was handed the rum on ice. She watched as he sipped his own.

"Do you want to dance?" She asked. He nodded. My, Malfoy is quite verbose…can't stop him from talking. She wanted to roll her eyes.

"M'lady." He said and they took to the dance floor in a dance that was anything but a waltz. It was grinding, sweaty, gyrating sex with clothes. She felt her arousal tickling her as it slid a little down her thigh. She moaned as he ran his hands once again down her hips, leaning her head back against his shoulder.

She moved his hand to the apex of her legs slipping it under the hem of her already too short skirt so he could feel what he was doing to her. He sucked in a breath against her neck.

Draco had been drinking since the first bar, he was so drunk, and this red headed vixen was doing him in. She danced like a goddess and was grinding on him so deliciously that he was positive if he didn't shag her tonight he would end up with blue balls for the next century. He almost lost control and ruined his slacks when the temptress pulled his hand from her hip and slid his finger into her dripping pussy. He groaned into her neck and pulled his hand back to a proper place.

Hadn't he said no to these one-offs? He hadn't had sex in a month and wanking seemed to bring back memories of his schoolboy days. Sod it all to bloody hell, he wanted the warm body of a woman.

"Want to go somewhere a little more private?" He asked. She nodded. He apparated them to the hotel he was staying at while his flat was being renovated. He had bought a flat and moved out of the Manor, thought he still had his offices and his own Wing, Suites and All. He had just felt the need to make a change.

He turned the woman and kissed her, sliding his tongue along the crease of her lips and she opened willingly. After a few minutes of them grinding and massaging each other's tongues with their own she pulled back.

"Something to drink?" She asked sweetly. He smiled and walked over to the bar. She waved him away, "I'll fix them, you seem to be a bit overdressed." she purred as she trailed her fingernails down his chest and gently tugged on the waistband of his slacks.

He went back to the sitting area of the hotel room and began to take off his shoes and belt. He began unbuttoning his shirt when she came over with two mixed drinks that contained the rum he'd kept on the bar. She handed him his and drank a large gulp of hers, as though trying to calm her nerves.

"What's your name?" He asked taking a gulp of his own drink. She smiled a little and finishing the drink she'd fixed herself started unbuttoning his shirt the rest of the way.

"You can call me whatever you want…Sir." She averted her gaze in a way that was hard for him to miss. So, the woman liked to play. Draco realized she was a submissive then, though the whole scene wasn't his, he liked to play sometimes. Not needing it as a part of his life like his friend Blaise. He felt tightening in his pants, and gulped down his drink in one go.

"I think I'll call you Temptress. You have seemed to tempt me beyond what I deem is proper." He murmured in her hair as he pulled her in for a kiss, her hands running over his chest. His ability to think becoming hazy.

Ginny felt the fertility potion tingle her abdomen, and knew even if he cast a contraception spell the fertility potion would counter it. She quickly dropped to her knees in front of his bulging trousers and ran her hand over him. He moaned, the lust potion becoming all too evident in his eyes, they were becoming glassy and his gray orbs molten with desire.

He yanked her up forcefully to straddle his lap and Draco ravaged her mouth and he tore the dress from her shoulders and palmed her breasts. She moaned against him, grinding her unclad sex against the bulge in his pants, wanting more than just the external friction. He growled and tossed her down forcefully as he pushed his pants down, releasing his large and pulsing member from within its confines and plunging within her depths with a moan from each of them.

Hours later Draco would wonder when exactly he realized it was Potter's wife, perhaps when she'd been sucking his cock after the second round, or when she'd been restrained on his bedpost during the fourth time. But as the lust potion cleared his head and he stared at the woman sleeping sated in his bed he put his head in his hands and felt a shame he thought he would never feel again as long as his father remained in Azkaban. He went and took the hottest shower scrubbing his skin until it felt like only a thin layer remained.

He gagged thinking of what had happened. She had to of given him something to make him so crazed with desire. His stomach turned. He wasn't sure he could face the woman in the next room, let alone his best friend. Blaise had been seeing her and she was still married to Potter. He felt shame and remorse.

"Want another go Lover?" Hands came around his torso as he leaned against the wall. He jumped and turned cautiously so as to not fall. Malfoys were graceful after all.

"Listen Weaslette-Potter, you need to leave. I don't know what you're playing at changing your appearance, and drugging me somehow, but you need to leave." He said trying to be firm with the wench. She poked her bottom lip out and pouted giving him a simpering look.

"But, Mr. Malfoy, you wanted me before I gave you the lust potion. I wanted you to know who you were fucking so that when you find out that I carry your pureblood heir you know it to be true." She spat maliciously and exited the shower waving her wand drying her body. She was dressed before Draco could recover from the shock of it all.

He had never been manipulated in this manner. He stalked angrily to the woman before she could get to the floo. He didn't care if he was wet, naked, and the shower was still running in the bathroom.

"What the fuck did you do to me you little bitch?" He screamed grabbing her arm and yanking her around to face him. He saw a flickering of fear in her eyes before she smirked, one reminiscent of his own.

"I outplayed the player. Blaise should have known I would find out about his other conquests. You need an heir and I'm one of the sacred twenty-eight. You will finally have your pureblooded heir. Aren't you excited Draco?" He felt like she'd punched all the air out of his lungs. How dare she use him? What did she think he would do? Marry her? She's already bloody married, poor sod that Potter was!

Draco let go of her out of shock. He realized she'd taken a fertility potion and that the contraception spell was useless with the potion, especially since he'd come inside of her five times last night. She smirked again and turned to the floo. He stared as she left in green flames and feeling his stomach turn he took off running to the bathroom as he emptied his stomach of its contents.

XXXXXX

Draco warred with himself for a few days before he finally answered one of Blaises owls. The red-headed wench had called things off with him on the grounds that she found someone to better suit her needs. Blaise wasn't all that upset, but once he found out what Draco knew he'd be furious at his Red-headed ex-lover.

 _Blaise_

 _Meet me in the office, we need to talk._

 _Draco_

He paced his office nervously, it was the Ministry office, only a few people actually went to the Manor's office and he really didn't want Blaise to hex him six ways from Sunday, so the more public the venue the better.

Blaise strolled into his office like he owned it and sank into one of the chairs behind the desk.

"How's it going? We going out tonight, you haven't been out since you took home that red headed number a few nights ago. Her body was gorgeous, but she wouldn't give me the time of night." Blaise chuckled lightheartedly. Draco's heart sank. His breakfast feeling like lead in his stomach.

"It's about the red headed number. She spiked my drink with a lust potion and her own with a fertility potion when we got back to the hotel. I'm not sure what to do Blaise." Draco ran his hand through his hair feeling sick again. Maybe he was the one pregnant…morning sickness….hah! He would have smiled at the thought if he weren't so miserable.

Blaise looked at him in wide-eyed shock! Then he began laughing heartily.

"She expects marriage? Wow, you finally became trapped! Was she a pureblood?" Blaise asked, laughing at his friend's misfortune.

"Laugh all you want Blaise, she was already married, and has a child with St. Potter!" Draco lost his temper. "She wanted revenge for you being unfaithful and probably had motives to part me from my galleons so that she would bare my pureblood heir. I blame you for this mess!" Draco huffed petulantly. Blaise just stared in shock.

"Ginny did this? I thought I heard a door slam a few weeks back while I was with Kendra but Merlin, she's got a vindictive streak doesn't she?" He asked in awe. Draco just poured them both a firewhiskey.

"We need to tell Potter. He won't like that I shagged his wife." Draco said with dread. Blaise drank his down in one gulp.

"He won't like that I shagged her as well, but at least I didn't get her pregnant with my Pureblood heir." Blaise said, trying to smile, finding humor in the whole situation.

"You my friend, are an arse."

XXXXXX

Hermione stood outside of Harry's office door. She didn't want to do this, but she had no choice. It'd been a few weeks and Harry was still upset that Ginny was still staying with Molly overnight most nights or coming in at random times in the morning. Harry was essentially a single parent because she would come in and go to bed and he would still have to take James to Andromeda's or Molly's.

She'd bitten her lip to almost bleeding worrying over how he would take the news of Ginny cheating. They'd been going to lunch a few times over the past few weeks but he'd told her Ginny was withdrawing from him yesterday at lunch and she couldn't stand it anymore. Last night she'd barely slept for her guilt of knowing about Ginny and Blaise. She went into the office after knocking.

Harry looked up at her and smiled.

"What can I do for you 'Mion?" He asked affectionately. Her friend had no idea she was about to break his heart.

"I didn't come to make a social call really Harry. I. Erm. Well you see…." She tried to get out. Her words getting stuck in her throat.

She had Harry's attention now. He looked at her and she could feel him putting a mask in place to prepare himself for her words.

"Gin's been having an affair with Blaise Zabini, Harry….I'm sorry." Hermione closed her eyes so she wouldn't see the torment and surprise on his face.

"Hermione, what makes you say this? Where's your proof?" Harry asked guardedly. Her eyes opened to see a resigned and miserable Harry in front of her. She knew he knew what she said was the truth, but couldn't reconcile his wife with someone other than himself.

"She let his name slip while we were shopping a few weeks ago. I waited to see if she would do right by you, but she didn't. I'm so sorry Harry. How a mother could leave her child and husband is beyond me. Please don't be mad I didn't tell you sooner. I wanted to give her a chance, but when you said she was still out all the time I knew….and I'm sorry." She pleaded with her friend. He nodded still trying to process her words.

He stood and she did too. They walked to the door together.

"You've known for weeks and didn't tell me? 'Mione, I think you need to go….I'm not mad at you….a little hurt, but not mad. Just give me time to come to terms yeah?" He asked giving her a little hug. She nodded and left his office. A few minutes after she disappeared from the area Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy came walking down the other side of the hallway and knocked on Harry's open door. Harry had his back turned and when he saw who it was in his doorway he sighed.

This was definitely not his day.

"What can I do for you two?" Harry was trying to stay professional, no matter that he just found out his wife was sleeping with the man in front of him. It was Draco who hung his head in shame, which confused Harry.

"Potter, we haven't always gotten on, and I thought these last few years we'd started to have a tentative friendship but something happened." Draco started.

"A witch drugged his drink with a lust potion and her own with a fertility potion. He wants to make a claim against his person." Blaise told him.

"And what did you do to make a witch want to take such drastic measures to trap you?" Harry asked his eyes narrowed at Blaise trying not to punch the man.

"It wasn't me she was trying to get revenge on, it was Blaise. She glamoured herself until after the lust potion kicked in and by then I couldn't stop myself. She told me she wanted to outplay the playboy and carry my Pureblood heir."

"And who may I ask is this Pureblood who manipulated you and is now carrying your bastard child?" Harry asked hoping against hope it wasn't what he thought.

"Weaslette" Draco whispered before Harry's fist connected with his face.

"Oy! What the hell Potter!" Blaise yelled at him.

"Get the fuck out Zabini! She shagged him because of you? That's what you said! Hermione told me you two were having an affair, but Merlin, she's pregnant with my childhood rival's child!" Harry was seeing red and shouting. He rarely lost his temper. He couldn't believe the witch he had married. Seething he left the two standing there in his office as he made his way to the Legal Department to file for a separation and custody of James.

He was leaving Ginny. He knew that Hermione, Draco and Blaise were all telling the truth and knew in his heart that she wasn't going to be a real mother to the child she gave birth to or a wife to him. She had goals and aspirations that a family would just hold her back from. After he filled out the paperwork he made his way to Hermione's office.

Knocking on her door he opened it to see her face tearstained as she worked over one of the new legislations for magical creatures.

"'Mion, it's worse than I thought."

"What are you talking about Harry, how can it be worse?" Hermione asked sniffing, wiping her nose with the back of her sleeve. Harry saw a gold lion bracelet glint.

"Blaise and Malfoy just came in to file a complaint against my wife." Harry sank into the chair miserable.

Hermione waved her wand and all the things on her desk cleared and she pulled out a bottle of vodka from her purse, unshrinking it she handed it to Harry.

Harry didn't even question why she had it in her purse, he just nodded appreciatively and took a large swallow, coughing a little as the liquid went down his throat. His eyes watered as he handed it back to Hermione and she did the same, minus the coughing.

"What kind of complaint?" She asked him, her red and near bleeding lip being worked over with her teeth again. Harry watched in a entranced fascination.

"She apparently drugged him and made sure he impregnanted her. All on the grounds of revenge for Blaise being unfaithful to her." Harry let out a laugh that was bitter and sharp.

"Imagine her being mad at being cheated on when she's been doing the same to me." Harry shook his head and took the bottle Hermione held out. "I went up and filed for separation and custody. She's never around anyway, may as well make it permanent."

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry. I really am." She said just as miserable as Harry.

"Let's get out of here. I'm not feeling like work is something I can handle today." Harry suggested. Hermione nodded.

"What do you say to coming to my flat and drinking with me? I can floo Andromeda and ask if she can keep James overnight and we can drank and play muggle games until you pass out." Hermione suggested. She was a little upset that Draco had slept with Ginny. Not that she had any claim to him….she didn't!

He was her therapist, helping to heal her. But she thought they shared something more intimate. Especially when his hands on her body were all she remembered from that fateful night all those months ago where he had come back into her life. Her heart sank to realize that her best female friend was carrying a child of the man who was fast becoming important in Hermione's life.

"Sure" Harry said, interrupting her thoughts and they made their way to the floo in her office and followed her into her flat.

A/N: This chapter was very hard for me to write because I love Ginny and hate having her be the bad guy…but every story must have a villain or it wouldn't be a story. Not a lot of Draco and Hermione in this chapter…sorry about that but the story must go on.


	6. Chapter 6

Harry made his way to his office. It'd been almost six months since he'd filed for custody of James and kicked Ginny out. He was miserable and wished things had been different. Ron had been back in town for a few months now and kept badgering him to get back with his sister that she was pregnant and needed her husband even if she was having a Malfoy spawn.

Harry couldn't stomach the fact that she had done this to their family. He smiled at his assistant even though he was far from happy. He was able to divorce Ginny with no contest and only a six month waiting period because of her mostly being away from him prior to the separation, and it didn't hurt he was the Chosen One and people pretty much fell over backwards to give him what he wanted. He hated to take advantage but he felt he needed to in this matter.

He thought about Hermione and wished, not for the first time in the past six months, that he'd been attracted to her instead. She would never have done something so despicable to him or to Malfoy.

Hermione had been going to her therapy sessions with Draco still and Harry thought she was happier for the most part. Ron was angry that she still refused to talk to him and kept on Harry to get them all together. Ron must not realize that she was attacked the same night he'd seen her in Diagon Alley.

Harry entered his office and started on his paperwork. Thank goodness it was going to be a slow day.

XXXXXX

Hermione had been going about her business for the past six months. She'd been confronted by both Molly and Ginny Weasley for telling Harry about Blaise and effectively ruining their marriage….not that Ginny has done that all on her own. Ginny had been served a fine for administering a potion without consent, and since it was a former Death Eater vs a War Hero it worked more in favor of Ginny, especially when it was revealed that Draco had been willing to have sex with her prior to the potion's administration so long as her identity had been concealed with the glamour.

Hermione made her way from her office to Draco's. She was having a mid-day session since Friday night would be a busy one for the Ministry and all employees were required to attend the awards ceremony. Knocking on his door it opened and he smiled at her. Her heart sped up, as it always did in his vicinity lately.

"Granger, welcome. Let's get started." Draco said and they both sat on the couch together. "Last time you were here you talked to me about how you don't need to drink before bed now. A few months ago that wasn't the case. Anything new?"

"I finished the last of the Centaur legislation and been working on patching up things with the Gringotts Goblins. I kind of broke in and stole a dragon and a cup from your aunt back during the war." Hermione blushed remembering her time as Bellatrix. She felt dirty being inside the body of the woman who had tortured her but it couldn't have been helped.

Draco put his hand on hers. He'd been having a rough time these past two months. After they only fined Ginny for her trickery he'd been ordered to support her throughout her pregnancy due to the separation she was undergoing with Potter. He had to buy her a home for herself and her soon to be child. She had lost custody of Potter's kid, but would retain custody of theirs. He hated the wench.

He looked at the woman in front of him. She was perfection. Beautiful and honest, kind, and trusting. Hermione Granger made him want to be a better man. He couldn't help that he had been weak and wanted the redhead at the bar. Merlin help him, that mistake had cost him so much. At least his parents' were excited about the prospect of his heir being one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He wanted to gag again thinking about it.

Hermione talked a bit about how that made her feel to pretend to be Bella. Draco listened halfheartedly watching her mouth and lips as she talked.

"…Draco?" She whispered, noticing he seemed to be a million miles away.

"Yes." He replied swallowing, his eyes meeting hers. His fingers had been rubbing over her knuckles and the back of her hand involuntarily. He looked away at the heat within her eyes. She licked her lips.

"I have been having dreams." She blurted and felt her face heat from mortification. Now she would have to explain them. Draco turned back to her on the couch.

"What kind of dreams?" He said, then upon noticing her blush he smirked. "Naughty dreams, Granger I can't believe it."

She giggled a little at his lighthearted teasing.

"And who may I ask is the co-star in these dreams?" He asked smiling a genuine smile. Merlin help him, he really liked this woman blushing.

"I….I'd rather not say at the moment." She stammered not meeting his eyes. He guarded his expression thinking perhaps Potter or Weasley were the co-stars.

"And how long have these dreams been occurring?"

"About six to seven months now. I've never felt this way before." She informed him honestly.

"I see, so they began shortly after you started to get your life back on track?" He was a little jealous that she wasn't having dreams of him but shrugged it off. He felt like such a hypocrite lately. His life was falling apart and here he was telling people how to get theirs back on track. What a sham, a fraud!

"I guess so. Anyways I'm not sure what it is that I am wanting during the dreams. I wake aching in places I have never thought about before. It's embarrassing really." She told him still not meeting his eyes. He felt the familiar tightening below his waistband. This woman always affected him like this. It'd been just under four months since they had resumed their sessions and with all the drama with Ginny Potter Draco had not had a woman since that horrible night.

Hermione was remembering one of the more vivid dreams from last night.

 _iHe kissed her passionately, her lips meeting his in sensual velvet heat. His hands traveling to her core, feeling her heat. She gasped, and Draco took that as an opening to delve his tongue within the confines of her mouth to massage her own tongue. He held her close, pressing her body against her own. She could feel his hardness against her stomach and felt liquid pool low in her belly._

" _Hermione, gods you feel so good!" He moaned against her skin as his lips and tongue trailed down her jaw and neck. Their clothes had been divested earlier, their bare chests pressing against one another deliciously._

 _Moaning as his lips traveled to Hermione's breast she tangled her hands in his silky white hair and her eyes shot open with a gasp of pleasure as his mouth finally enclosed around her nipple…/i_

"….there really isn't anything to be embarrassed about…" Draco trailed off bringing her out of the dream. He noticed her breathing had changed and her nipples had turned to hard pebbles. She felt the familiar ache in between her legs.

Hermione shifted a little warmer than she'd been and looked at Draco, meeting his eyes. They gazes held as he lifted his hand and rested it against her cheek.

"Gorgeous…" He whispered. She realized then that their relationship was changing for both of them. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, just a brush of warm soft lips against her own. Her eyes closed and she savored it. His lips moved against her own, his teeth nibbling on her bottom lip after all these months watching her own teeth do the same thing to the tender flesh.

Heat shot straight to his member and his grip tightened on her jaw as he deepened the kiss, licking along the seam of her mouth asking….begging….for permission to enter. She parted her lips tentatively and his tongue sought solace in the warm cavern of her mouth to dance a sweet and slow dance with her own.

Draco felt Hermione's hands rise to the back of his neck and he leaned into her as fully as he could with them still sitting side by side on the couch. He had one hand in her curls guiding her kiss and his other hand was at the small of her back pulling her closer. She moaned and her eyes opened. They were a green-brown color in her lust for him. His own were a dark smoky grey.

He pulled back then, but kept her close, he hadn't realized that he'd lost focus of everything when he'd kissed her until he heard the knocking on his heavy solid office door. She was jolted to awareness too and looked at him dazed.

"Excuse me Hermione, I have to get this." He apologized with his expression and went to the door. Opening it he saw the woman who had been causing the stress and fueled his anger.

"What do you want? I'm working, with a client right now." He huffed stepping out into the interoffice that housed the desk of his secretary and shutting his office door. He looked around and saw the secretary in question was nowhere to be found. Ginny was smiling at him in a predatory fashion.

"Surely you can reschedule. I thought you'd want to know that they said me and your heir are healthy." She simpered and Draco cringed inwardly at the incorrect grammar she spoke.

"You could have owled that information to me. Why are you here?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"I wanted to inform you that I am now a single witch." She smiled widely at him. He felt revulsion for her and her obviousness.

"You need to leave before I call security on you." He whispered harshly to her, he wouldn't raise his voice so Hermione could hear.

"Come now Draco, surely you wouldn't want your son to be born a bastard?" She spat at him nastily, ignoring the way he winced when Ginny said his name.

"Leave. Now!" He repeated through gritted teeth. She smirked at him, reminiscent of his own. He couldn't believe she would come here, the day of her divorce and throw the gender of the baby in his face all on the hopes to get him to marry her. The audacity of the witch was becoming ridiculous.

"Oh Malfoy, you wound me. Be careful or you won't ever see your son and only heir, but you will still be supporting us because of who we are." She laughed at him then. He lost his temper grabbing her by the arm and shoving her out the door. Her six month pregnant form hindering a graceful exit. He slammed the door to his secretary's office and locked it with a charm.

Draco stood for a minute trying to calm his breathing. Merlin help him he hated the red head more than he hated her brother and that was saying something. He stormed back into his own office and his gaze fell on the petite form that was sitting on his couch.

"Granger, can we reschedule?" He hated to do that, especially since he'd just shared the most sensual kiss he'd ever experienced in his life with the woman. She looked startled at his request, her face showed signs of hurt and guilt plagued him. He was rubbish with women, he should never have kissed her.

"I'll see you tonight for the Ministry ceremony, you know you'll be receiving another one for outstanding services and contributions to the wizarding community for something you've done to bring peace to the world." He smiled winking at her and settled behind his desk to fill out some paperwork and try not to dwell on the extreme anger he felt towards Ginny Weasley Potter.

Hermione felt her heart flutter at the exchange, even while she felt the pang of rejection. He'd just kissed her. The first real kiss she's ever had, besides the adolescent kissed from Ron, and now he was sending her away. She stood and walked to the door, turning back, she looked at him with an expression of confusion. He wasn't even looking at her, anger was evident in his movements and he was shuffling papers at his desk, already dismissing her.

She held back a sob as she threw herself from the room. Draco looked up and saw her retreating figure and the beginnings of a sob and felt like dragon dung. He should follow her out and apologize. He shook his head, no. With as angry as he was he couldn't be sure he'd do her any good and may end up arguing her just to lash out at someone. He would apologize tonight at the ceremony they were both mandated to attend.

XXXXXX

*****TRIGGER WARNING: possible self harm! (I can't divulge any more information without spoiling, this warning will be for the remainder of the chapter.)*****

Harry apparated over to Hermione's place at 6:30 that night. He immediately noticed something off when he entered. He smelled the booze in the air, saw the trail of clothes that led down the hallway to her room.

"Hermione?" He called, following the trail of clothes. They had planned on going to the awards ceremony together. Harry was dressed in his dark green robes that matched his eyes. He was excited. His department was going to get some great recognition on a case they'd solved with the help of a few Department of Mystery employees.

He knocked on the door to Hermione's bedroom, the alcohol wafting on the currents of the air was stronger here. He opened the door with dread filling his stomach. It took a minute for his eyes to adjust to what exactly he was seeing, a metallic scent was mingling with the alcohol smell and he glanced the room for the cause.

As an auror he was looking for signs of foul play. The mirror on Hermione's was smashed, her bed spread was in disarray and there were three bottles of muggle liquor in varying stages of emptiness around the room. The clothes hamper was knocked over, and her closet door hung off the hinges. One of the bottles was completely empty, it was vodka, another bottle, this one was whiskey was dripping what remained of its contents onto her bedroom floor. And the final bottle was spiced rum, sitting upright on her vanity.

He then noticed the blood. There was blood on the vanity mirror and shards of the mirror were all over. He looked quickly for any other signs of blood, his wand was in his hand and he hadn't realized he'd taken it out when he had entered the almost dark room. He stepped carefully into the room, glancing at the bed hoping to see Hermione sleeping off the alcohol. No such luck, she wasn't there. He focused on the open door of her closet.

"Hermione?" He asked again tentatively. He moved forward hoping the dread in his stomach would ease and she's come walking out of the closet and laugh at his foolishness. He was once again disappointed when he saw a pale slender foot. He swiftly entered the small space, lighting the closet with his wand and searching for any signs of an attack. Finding none, he focused on the woman at his feet.

Hermione was laying there, still and pale. Harry thought she was dead. She had a pool of blood her arm lay in, one of the mirror's shards was still embedded within the delicate tendons and her body had literally pumped her life's essence from her body.

Harry activated the emergency portkey he always had, a ring that was given to each of the aurors for purposes like these as one example. He grabbed the form and they arrived within seconds to St. Mungo's.

"Help! I don't know what happened!" He yelled to the first medi-witch he saw, she immediately noticed who he was, and looked at the half naked figure in his arms, reeking of alcohol and taking in the blood dripping down her arm.

"Rapid Response Team to the Emergency Area, Rapid Response Team to the Emergency Area!" The woman had pressed a button. A team of six witches and wizards were there in seconds taking Hermione from Harry and as he sank into the waiting area bench Harry realized that he was sobbing.

XXXXXX

Draco was wandering through the crowd of Ministry personnel that had gathered at the awards ceremony. He was looking for one person in particular. He needed to find her and apologize. She was too fragile still to understand it wasn't her that he'd been angry with, well that and he hadn't very well told her had he.

How could he explain it to her when he was her Mind Healer, not the other way around? How could he talk to her when she was getting treatment from him? He had already screwed with his integrity as a Mind Healer by kissing her. She was vulnerable and he wasn't supposed to take advantage of her trust. He was screwed.

He saw Kingsley Shacklebolt smiling and greeting people throughout the crowd. An owl came through and landed near the Minister of Magic. The dark wizard took the missive from the tawny owl and read it as the owl flew away. Draco watched in interest as Minister Shacklebolt turned grey. He looked around, spotting Draco swiftly came over to him.

"Mr. Malfoy, you are Mrs. Ganger's mind healer, yes?" Kingsley asked him, and without waiting for Draco's nod continued. "Mr. Potter found her in bad shape in her home. I believe you will be needed at the hospital with her chart. She will need to be assessed and have someone with her at all times throughout her hospital stay.

"Please owl me when you have reached the hospital, and make arrangements to stay until you are relieved in the morning. I need Potter back here to fill out a report on his findings and he may be the one to relieve you in the morning. This will be confidential Mr. Malfoy." The Minister said and walked away, handing the note to a bewildered and shocked Draco.

 _iMinister,_

 _I understand tonight is an important night for the Ministry and its fantastic personnel. However, you will find yourself lacking Hermione Ganger and Harry Potter. Mrs. Granger will need someone here for constant companionship throughout her hospitalization as it is believed she may have intentionally done herself harm in her home tonight where Mr. Potter found her. Please send her Ministry Employed Mind Healer, Mr. Draco Malfoy here tonight so that he may evaluate her situation. We cannot divulge any more information as privacy laws prohibit this._

 _Head Healer Giselle Hobgood./i_

Draco's heart sank. He knew now why she was required to have someone stay with her throughout her hospitalization. If she'd tried to commit suicide she was required to be on suicide precautions. He wondered if she'd left a note or anything. He would have to have Potter go to her home and assess the scene for anything that would put this in perspective so he could understand her state of mind better. Oh who the bloody hell was he kidding. He felt guilt overwhelm his body. It was his fault. He's let her leave thinking she'd be ok until the ceremony, that she would be ok. He didn't realize how bad she had taken his dismissal. He i _should_ /i have realized it. With a heavy heart and guilt written all over his face he made his way to the apparation point.


End file.
